Judiciary Committee Releases New Gulf Coast Claims Process Information

(Washington) Today, the House Judiciary Committee will start posting on its Web site summary reports from the one-week old Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), administered by Kenneth Feinberg. These statistical summary reports provide information on claims submitted to the facility since last Monday, August 23rd. It is not yet clear how many of the individuals and businesses covered in these reports had previously submitted claims to BP after the April 20th disaster on the Deepwater Horizon. The Committee will continue to request that detailed statistical information on the claims process as it progresses be made available on a regular and timely basis.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

"In light of the recent class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the state of Alabama against ESIS, BP's former claims administrator, due to allegations of fraudulently diminishing and delaying claims made by oil spill victims, it is imperative that we continue to closely monitor this new claims process to ensure that oil spill victims are fairly compensated."

In the reports, the following variables can be found: (a) the number of claims submitted and number of claimants; (b) the number of individual claimants and the number of business claimants; (c) claims submitted and amounts paid for emergency; and final payments; (d) the number of claims by category submitted and amounts paid submitted for both final and emergency payments; (e) the status of all final and emergency claims submitted; and (f) the number of claims received by state and the total amount of money paid to claimants by state.