On April 20, 2010, a BP oil rig known as the Deepwater Horizon, experienced catastrophic failure,
including an explosion on the platform, and sank to the bottom of the Gulf --
killing 11 men and injuring 17 others. In the days and weeks that
followed, the resulting leak from the broken underwater pipe turned into one of the worst environmental
disasters in history.
Hundreds of thousands of individuals and businesses along the Gulf Coast are still trying to
convince BP agents, including the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, run by high-powered lawyer Ken Feinberg,
to compensate them for losses caused by the oil spill. Investigation by government officials continues
to reveal the nature of the negligence by BP, Transocean, Halliburton, Cameron International, and others
that led to the explosion, the failure of safety systems, and the inability to stop the leak before
life along the Gulf Coast was so seriously altered.
The stories below tell small parts of the developing story of the BP oil spill and the ongoing
efforts to get BP, Feinberg, and the GCCF to do what the law requires. Claims are being submitted
and reviewed, though far too slowly. Lawsuits are being filed. Litigation is underway, consolidated
before a federal judge in New Orleans.
Due to a technical problem on the PBS site, you may need to click "Play Again" after you
first try to start the video below. Don't use the "Continue Watching" button, if you see it.
