One More Interesting Oil Spill Claims Statistic

Here’s one more interesting tidbit from the claims process statistics released yesterday by Kenneth Feinberg’s Gulf Coast Claims Facility. More than 1,300 people have filed claims for a final payment for damages from the Gulf oil spill. If it’s not a mistake, those who have filed for a final claim are choosing to bypass the emergency claim process, which allows victims to apply for interim payments for 1-6 months.

The beauty of the emergency payment system is that you are not required, if you accept the claim, to waive your legal right to sue BP in the future. With final payments, you are required to waive that right.

Feinberg is apparently just as confused by this as I am. The statistics report says there is a “review underway” to determine whether the claimants intended to file a final claim.

For more on the claims process, see the story I just wrote.