Zones that are currently in the BP Settlement.

Identifying the Zones

Previously the Zones of the BP Settlement were fairly simple, based on distances from the shoreline.

For example, Zone A was within 0.5 miles of the shoreline, Zone B was over 0.5 miles, but up to miles. Zone C was over 1.0 miles, but under 2.0 miles. Zone D was over 2.0 miles.

After BP’s acceptance of the BP Settlement, much has changed. The same 4 Zone structure exists with A, B, C and D; however, the zones have different distance requirements and are affected by Class type of the BP Settlement.

BP Settlement Class Type Affects the Zone in Which You are Located

1. Property Damage & Lost Sales Claims: The Zones are broken up here so specifically that YOU may be in Zone A, but your neighbor across the street may be in Zone B.
The difference here is that Zone A only needs to show the financial loss, Zone B needs to show the financial loss AND that the loss was CAUSED by the Spill.

2. Seafood Harvester Claims: Are similarly broken up as Property Claims in the BP Settlement, but not with such finite detail. Zone A is broader, but is etched closer to the shoreline. Use the business address, or employment address, should be the address of your home port for the BP Settlement. Essentially, the home port address should be the address of where you dock your boat.

3. Economic Loss Claims: For the BP Settlement, Zone A is sporadic, applies to the Florida Keys, around the New Orleans area, Orange Beach, AL and Gulfport, MS, with some areas in Mobile, AL. The other Zones that apply are Zone C. Zone B is not as broad as Zones A, C and D, with some occurrences around Tampa Bay, North of Pensacola for a few miles, small spots in MS, AL, and LA.

4. Medical Claims: Don’t really have a Zone in the BP Settlement. You just need to prove you worked on Clean-Up, you were exposed and had suffered an injury at the time you worked on Clean-Up, OR have chronic symptoms.

For Medical Claims of the BP Settlement, you could be a resident in Ohio who worked on the Spill Clean-Up. You will need to prove exposure, employment and injury, but so long as you have the symptoms, or were injured you still have a claim.

Zones Complexity, Confusion or Much Ado About Nothing?

For the BP Settlement, you need to conceptualize this, or make a concept out of this note here:

Oil has the golden touch, wherever the oil physically touched the beaches that specific area will be Zone A.

Areas next to that area will be Zone B or Zone C. Areas over 2.0 miles from the Zone A areas will most likely be Zone D, under the BP Settlement.

Zones C and D will have the largest problems with showing causation under the BP Settlement. Everybody suffered a loss after the Spill, but you must show that you suffered a loss BECAUSE of the Spill.

Is the Zone System of the BP Settlement it Really That Complicated?

Yes and no. The Zone system of the BP Settlement was intended to set up more categories in order to end the uniform treatment of different business types that was experienced under the GCCF.

The BP Settlement also specifically identifies BP’s liability to many more people and businesses than what had been experienced under the GCCF.

Our licensed claims adjusters have the ability to decipher the Zoning sections, project potential losses and offer the argument of your claim value for your BP Settlement claim.

This will be a brief overview of the different types of Zones that are currently in the BP Settlement.