Otstott & Jamison, P.C.

Oil Spill

Claim your damages

I am George Otstott of Otstott & Jamison, Attorneys at Law. As an oil spill lawyer, I am currently investigating oil spill damage claims arising out of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Several class action lawsuits have been filed against British Petroleum (BP) and several other companies that were involved in drilling the Deepwater Horizon oil well. As an oil spill lawyer, I am going to represent individuals and businesses that have incurred damages related to this horrific disaster.

41 years in practice

I have been helping people recover damages against large corporations for over 41 years. I know how to get damages collected for injured people and businesses. I can help you get the money damages you deserve for the destruction caused by this large corporation and the other defendants that are responsible for this senseless environmental tragedy. My many years of experience in damage lawsuits will be your weapon against these huge corporations. I will be your oil spill lawyer. I am AV rated by Martindale- Hubbell, the recognized lawyer rating service.

People and businesses who may claim damages

• Commercial fishing
• Sport or charter fishing
• Boating or marina facilities that have been damaged
• Boat owners that have suffered damage to their vessels
• Personal real estate or business property owners who have suffered loss of value or damages
• Tourist industry operators, including motels, restaurants, or other tourist related businesses that have lost profits
• Seafood processors or sellers
• Individuals who suffered physical damages due to exposure to the toxic spill
• Any owners of homes, condos or real property of any kind that suffered actual damage by the oil or loss of value by the proximity of the spill

Claims must be made in writing to BP or other “Responsible Parties”

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires that all claims for damages must be made in writing to the Responsible Party before a lawsuit can be filed. Our law firm believes that the investigations to date indicate that British Petroleum, the well owner, is the appropriate Responsible Party. The claim must state a sum certain that the claimant is demanding from the Responsible Party.

Our law firm will prepare and prosecute your demand for payment of your damages.

 

Damages that can be recovered include

• Damage to real property
• Damage to personal property
• Any loss of profits to individuals or businesses
• Any loss of revenues
• Loss of value to real and personal property

If you have suffered any of the above damages, call or email me immediately to make your claim and join the lawsuits that are filed and that are going to be filed to cover the damages reeked by this horrible environmental disaster. As your oil spill lawyer, I will be able to help you make your claim for damages. Call today 1-800-882-1402.

How in the world did this happen?

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a massive disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that started on April 20, 2010 and is still going on today and may continue for some time to come. It occurred when an explosion of methane gas destroyed the oil rig. It is speculated by experts that a methane gas bubble arose from the oil well at the bottom of the gulf, came up to the rig and caught fire causing a huge explosion, killing 11 people working on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig. The explosion also injured many others.

The oil spill currently covers an area equal to the combined size of the states of Werst Virginia and Vermont according to reports by the AP wire service. Much of this oil oil is below the surface of the water. The oil spill, originating from the deepwater oil well one mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, is currently discharging an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 gallons of crude oil daily, with a total currently estimated to be between 20 to 40 million gallons of crude oil polluting the Gulf.

What was the probable cause of this disaster?

The fail safe mechanism that was intended to stop the flow of crude oil at the sea floor in the event of an explosion, called a blowout preventer (BOP), may have failed. Evidence from the investigations of this tragedy may lead to this failure of a blowout protection device located at the well head on the bottom of the Gulf as the cause of the continued flow of raw crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This likely means that oil will continue to flow at the present rate into the Gulf of Mexico for months while damaging and destroying the wetlands and coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida until another well can be drilled to stop the current leak. Because of the extreme water depth of the well at 5,000 feet, this could prove to be a very difficult and time consuming daunting task. In the mean time, oil will continue to spew into the Gulf of Mexico at a horrendous rate.

Damage to the coast and industries

An environmental disaster of this size will undoubtedly damage the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry, tourism industry, property values, and it will destroy wetlands and wildlife beyond belief. The fishing industry along the Gulf produces 1.277 billion pounds of seafood every year, or 1/5th of the yearly U.S. seafood supply.

Recovery Under The Oil Pollution Act (OPA)

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 allows those with property that has been damaged in an oil spill to receive compensation. It also allows for loss of profits and earning capacity (anyone with spill-related loss of profits or income) and loss of subsistence use of natural resources (anyone who relies on natural resources such as the waters of the Gulf of Mexico affected by the spill) This federal legislation amended the previous Clean Water Act and allowed for compensation from damage by vessel- and facility-caused oil pollution to U.S. navigable waters. This legislation was in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, previously the worst oil spill in U.S. history until the current disaster. The spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and approximately 11 million gallons of oil poured from the tanker to spread across almost 1,000 miles of shoreline.

Several types of claims are allowed under the OPA. They include natural resource damages (natural resource trustees), removal costs (oil spill recovery organizations, government entities, spill responsible party, others who assisted with cleanup), property damage (anyone who owns or leases property damaged in a spill), boat damage (anyone who owns or leases boats damaged in a spill), loss of profits and earning capacity (anyone will spill-related loss of profits or income) and loss of subsistence use of natural resources (anyone who relies on natural resources affected by the spill).

Loss of income

If you have suffered a loss of income because of this oil spill disaster, you are entitled to damages equal to the loss of profits, income or impairment of earning capacity due to the injury, destruction, or loss of property or natural resources. Anyone with loss of profit, income, or wages can make a claim. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO OWN THE DAMAGED PROPERTY OR RESOURCES TO HAVE A CLAIM.

Disclaimer

I am licensed to practice law in all Texas courts including the Texas Supreme Court. I am also licensed to practice in the Eastern, Northern and Southern Federal District Courts as well as the Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, and the Supreme Court of the United States. I am not licensed to practice law in Louisiana, but I am associated with co-counsel in Louisiana that are licensed to practice law in Louisiana, and who will be representing clients with me that reside in Louisiana.

Call me today for an immediate, free, no obligation evaluation of your oil spill claim consultation at 1-800-882-1402, or email me at gotstott@otstottandjamison.com. You can also submit any questions you may want us to answer by going to the “Contact Us” page in this website. I want to be your oil spill lawyer.

"NO FEE UNLESS WE COLLECT"