Article
BP oil spill health settlement details are still a mystery [USA]
In the BP oil spill case, the health settlement negotiated...between BP and attorneys for private plaintiffs in the oil spill litigation makes tens of thousands of new people eligible for care and compensation from the disaster...But law professors, environmental health specialists and health care practitioners say it all depends on the yet-unknown details of the agreement, which is expected to be filed in court in mid-April...The biggest questions about the health settlement appear to be whether everyone who needs treatment qualifies, and whether anyone who has a heart attack or develops cancer later on will be able to convince BP that they're sick because of exposure to oil or dispersants...The health portion of the settlement between BP and plaintiff attorneys is available to the estimated 90,000 cleanup workers and other spill responders, as well as residents of coastal communities who lived there for at least six months. It is not clear who qualifies as a spill responder. [also refers to Nalco]