Toxic Exposure
BP Medical Benefits Settlement
No longer accepting claims for this case
Crude oil contains a number of inherently hazardous chemicals, including para-phenols and volatile benzene, all of which can have immediate and long-lasting effects on people’s health if they come in direct contact with these chemicals. In a study released in November 2013, researchers determined that clean-up workers exposed to the oil resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the dispersants used to clean up the oil “experienced significantly altered blood profiles, liver enzymes and somatic symptoms.”
In January 2013, final approval for a Medical Benefits Class Action Settlement was given by Judge Carl Barbier, and the claims process began on Feb. 12, 2014. Claims through this settlement could be filed for one year, with a claims deadline of Feb. 12, 2015.
Read the notice issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana for cleanup workers and certain Gulf Coast residents explaining in detail the Medical Benefits Settlement and court-supervised claims program. For additional information on the Settlement, as well as maps of “zones” specified in the text below, see the court-authorized Deepwater Horizon Medical Benefits claims website.
Motley Rice has assisted people and businesses hurt by the spill file claims under the court-supervised claims programs. Read more about our experience in the BP oil spill litigation.
Deepwater Horizon Medical Settlement Matrix
The Deepwater Horizon Medical Settlement Matrix outlined the standards for determining possible compensation based on acute and chronic conditions acquired as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Medical Conditions Covered
Qualified Gulf Coast residents and cleanup workers were compensated for a broad range of specified medical conditions such as:
- Headaches
- Respiratory problems
- Skin ailments
- Stomach complications
Payment levels varied depending on the type of illness or symptom, the level of proof of the illness or symptom, and the status as a cleanup worker or a resident of one of the covered zones.
Additional Settlement Benefits
- Periodic Medical Consultation Program: The Periodic Medical Consultation Program runs for the next 21 years and covers all cleanup workers and Zone A and Zone B residents who met the participation qualifications. The Program was implemented as of Feb. 12, 2014, and was available to all qualifying class members.
- Back-End Litigation Option for physical illnesses that emerge in the future: Residents and cleanup workers eligible for benefits under the Settlement may have the right to sue BP if they get sick in the future and comply with certain Medical Benefits Settlement procedures and requirements.
Gulf Region Health Outreach Program: A $105 million grant immediately created the five-year Gulf Region Health Outreach Program, which will improve access to physical and mental health care treatment in the Gulf Coast areas of AL, LA, MS and the FL panhandle. This outreach program emphasizes integrated and sustainable community-based primary and mental health care, as well as environmental and occupational health services.
