Welcome to The Gulf Coast Claims Facility Website

Consistent with an order issued by the court in the multidistrict litigation pending before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, titled, In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, MDL No. 2179, please note that changes were made to this website effective February 8, 2011. The court's order is posted under the tab Important Notices and Information.

The Gulf Coast Claims Facility ("GCCF") is the official way for Individuals and Businesses to file claims for costs and damages incurred as a result of the oil discharges due to the Deepwater Horizon Incident on April 20, 2010 ("the Spill"). The GCCF is administered by Kenneth R. Feinberg ("the Claims Administrator"), who is responsible for all decisions relating to the administration and processing of claims submitted to the GCCF. Mr. Feinberg and the GCCF are acting for and on behalf of BP Exploration & Production Inc. in fulfilling BP’s statutory obligations as a “responsible party” under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

You have the right to consult with an attorney of your choosing before accepting any settlement or signing a release of legal rights. See the Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Updated January 19, 2012

Update on the Court’s Order Requiring the GCCF to hold-back 6% of payments to MDL claimants.

In an Order and Reasons of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, dated December 28, 2011, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (“GCCF”) was ordered to withhold 6% of any and all amounts determined to be paid to eligible GCCF claimants to be deposited into a Court supervised Escrow Account. The purpose of the Escrow Account is to establish a fund from which common benefit litigation fees and expenses may be paid to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and other lead or liaison plaintiff counsel if and when awarded by the Court.

In a letter dated January 3, 2012, the GCCF sought clarification of the Court’s Order and on January 4, 2011, the Court issued an Order clarifying and amending its previous Order to make clear that the 6% hold-back applied prospectively to all claimants who were issued a payment determination letter from the GCCF dated after December 30, 2011. The amended Order clarified that the 6% hold-back did not apply to settlement payments (interim or final) made or offered to claimants in a payment determination letter issued on or before December 30, 2011.

The Court on January 18, 2012, issued an Order Amending and Superseding the Court’s Previous Orders of December 28, 2011, and January 4, 2012. The Court’s January 18, 2012 Order now limits the 6% hold-back requirement to GCCF claimants who have filed a suit in the MDL or a claim against Transocean in its Limitation of Liability proceeding in the MDL (“claimants-in-limitation”) or state court plaintiffs represented by counsel that had access to the MDL discovery process. The 6% hold-back does not apply to claimants who never filed an MDL suit or claim in limitation or state court plaintiffs whose counsel has not had access to the MDL discovery process. Click here to view the Court's January 18, 2012 Order.

In accordance with the Court’s January 18, 2012 Order, please note the following:

  • The Court-ordered 6% hold-back shall be applied to claimants who: (1) file or have filed an action in the MDL (whether through filing a complaint or a short-form joinder) or have filed a claim against Transocean in its Limitation of Liability proceeding; or (2) file or have filed a state court action and are represented by counsel that had access to the MDL discovery process (“MDL claimants”). The 6% hold-back requirements apply to all actions filed in or removed to federal court that have been or become a part of the MDL.
  • For MDL claimants, the 6% hold-back will be applied to all interim, final and quick pay payments (and payments for claim preparation and assessment fees) made to claimants who were not issued a payment determination letter from the GCCF dated on or before December 30, 2011.
  • For MDL claimants, the 6% hold-back shall be applied to all Quick Pay Claims received that are postmarked after December 30, 2011.
  • The 6% hold-back does not apply to settlement payment offers (interim or final) made to MDL claimants with a determination letter dated on or before December 30, 2011.
  • For MDL claimants who submitted a re-review request on a GCCF payment determination letter dated on or before December 30, 2011, you should contact the GCCF to determine if the re-review of your claim changed the interim payment or final payment offer. If there was no change in your payment calculations, you may withdraw the re-review request and accept the prior final payment offer in a payment determination letter dated on or before December 30, 2011, and it will not be subject to the 6% hold-back.

For additional information, please visit the Frequently Asked Question page, by clicking here.


IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS REGARDING THE GCCF POLICY ON CLAIM PREPARATION AND ASSESSMENT FEES:

Please read the attached Notice regarding the GCCF Policy on Claim Preparation and Assessment Fees.


This website provides information about how to file a claim, how to check the current status of a claim, and answers to questions about the process. If you are interested in making a claim you should review this website, call our toll-free helpline at 1-800-916-4893 (for TTY assistance call
1-866-682-1758), or email us at info@gccf-claims.com.

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