CHERYL ERICKSON – The Corsair
I was really hoping to write a positive follow-up to retort my last, rather opinionated, column on the BP claims process. Although the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) has made some very positive progress, I still find myself saying it’s too little, too late for many affected.
The GCCF along with BP has promised to “make this right.” They still have a long way to go to make this right, but considering the new statistics, it would appear they are on the right path. Some much needed relief is finally fielding its way into the hands of residents along the Gulf Coast.
Alabama initially had the highest number of denied claims; by huge leaps and bounds, (in excess of 500 compared to that of Florida at 31). Hundreds of claims initially denied due to “geographical proximity” have been reviewed and processed along the Alabama coastline. Feinberg was quoted as saying those accounts did not fall on deaf ears.
Of the 168,798 claims the GCCF has received; only 66,302 have been paid. That still leaves an enormous amount of people and business’ waiting. It’s hard to get overly optimistic with over a hundred thousand claims still unpaid. While the number of claims under review and the number of claims requiring additional information are still very high, the number of total denied claims has dropped significantly to 197.
With BP spending millions of dollars on ads claiming they will make this right, I’d guess that many of those over 100 thousand people and business’ are left wondering when they will “make it right”. Although some debtors may be sympathetic to affected residents along the Gulf coast, it’s still extremely difficult for many families and business’ to stay afloat.
I would much rather see them spend less on their image and spend more worrying about our image; as in, our beaches. Get the beaches cleaned up, reimburse the lost incomes, and “make it right”. Once that happens, their image will improve greatly without the need for the millions of dollars in ads.
For more information on the GCCF claims process, please go to http://www.gulfcoastclaimsfacility.com/
(Please send all opinions and letters to the editor to corsair@pensacolastate.edu)