Not surprisingly, many BP oil spill claims were filed by gulf area business owners who suffered adverse economic impacts due to widespread environmental damage caused by the spill. In addition to businesses, there were other types of entities that were negatively affected by the BP oil spill, and some of them have recently reached settlements on their claims for damages.
Specifically, cities and counties were able to file claims for damages associated with the BP oil spill, and some of those claims are being settled. However, the settled claims demonstrate that the total monetary amount for counties are less than the settlements for cities. This is to be expected, though, because cities collect sales tax revenue while counties do not, so it makes sense that losses of sales tax revenue are figured into the settlement amounts for cities.
Some of the BP oil spill settlements that have been reached so far include approximately two million dollars each for Jackson County and Harrison County, close to two million dollars each for the cities of Gautier and Pascagoula, over three hundred thousand dollars for Moss Point, and nearly nine hundred thousand dollars for Ocean Springs. School districts are another type of public entity that is eligible to receive BP oil spill settlement money, and so far, approximately three school districts have been paid a total of approximately two million dollars.
People who live in the communities that are receiving the settlements are relieved that money is flowing back into the area. There have been many financial losses due to the oil spill’s effects on the local environment, which negatively affected the area’s tourism and the seafood industry. Local governments have been operating on very tight budgets since the spill, and the settlements are expected to provide some relief. Local government leaders plan to use the BP oil spill settlement funds carefully, perhaps to replace resources and revenue that had previously been diverted to solving problems that were associated with the oil spill, and to pursue other goals and projects that will benefit area residents and businesses.
Barrett Law PLLC: Representing People Whose Lives Have Been Touched by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are devoted to helping our clients resolve their BP oil spill claims so that they can begin to move forward again. We are continuing to stay abreast of all of the latest happenings with the BP oil spill litigation so that we can share them with you as they happen. If you are involved in a case about damages that were caused by the spill, we are here to help you in any way that we can. If you have questions about the BP oil spill litigation, please call the attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule an initial consultation.
