Jefferson County claimants have received $17M in oil spill funds

NEW ORLEANS – BP's Gulf Coast Claims Facility has paid almost $17 million on Jefferson County damage claims from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Through Aug. 12, the facility paid $10,482,880 on 521 claims from county residents and businesses whose losses occurred in Jefferson County.

That equals about $20,000 per claim.

The facility paid $4,463,644 on 207 claims from county residents and businesses whose losses occurred elsewhere, an average of about $22,000.

The facility paid $1,943,999 on 86 claims from residents and businesses in other places whose losses occurred in the county, an average of about $23,000.

Statewide, the facility paid $192,348,686 to 3,844 claimants, an average of about $50,000.

About half of that amount covered emergency advance payments.

Businesses and individuals who received emergency payments may also qualify for final payments, so some claimants have received two payments.

Businesses have received almost 75 percent of the state total.

The claims facility has paid more than $100,000 on 130 business claims, including 13 payments of more than $500,000.

The facility has paid more than $100,000 on 16 individual claims, including three personal injury or death claims greater than $500,000.

About 94 percent of payments covered lost earnings or profits.

Workers in fishing or in retail sales and services received more than 60 percent of individual payments for lost earnings.

Businesses in fishing or in seafood processing and distribution received almost 80 percent of payments for lost profits.

Jefferson County ranked third in payments, behind Harris County at $97,653,425 and Galveston County at $29,647,236.

Throughout five Gulf Coast states, the facility paid $4,994,273,364.

The facility received 418,071 individual claims and 109,480 business claims.

The facility's website, www.gulfcoastclaimsfacility.com, posts claim information in almost microscopic detail, including a summary of each claim with all facts except the identity of the claimant.

Payments from BP Gulf Coast Claims Facility
(As of Aug. 12)