Gulf Coast Class Action Oil Spill Lawsuits

Transocean Deepwater Horizon vs. Exxon Valdez

The situation currently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico reminds us all of a similar disaster that played out in 1989 in Alaska’s Prince William Sound – the Exxon Valdez oil spill. All told, more than 250,000 barrels of crude oil leaked into the pristine waters of the sound, killing hundreds of thousands of marine animals and contaminating 1300 miles of shoreline and over 11,000 square miles of ocean. The Exxon Valdez oil spill is widely regarded as one of the worst environmental disasters in history. More than two decades later, the effects of that oil spill are still being felt by the residents of fishing villages in Prince William Sound, and many of the animal species have yet to recover.

Most people don’t realize it yet, but the current oil spill happening in the Gulf of Mexico is probably going to end up bigger than the Exxon Valdez spill. Some experts argue that it already is. It’s hard to say exactly how much oil is leaking out at the well head under the sea, but everyone agrees it will probably be months, not weeks, before the leak is fully contained. Even at the conservative estimate of 5,000 barrels per day (some think it may be five times more), the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is growing at an unprecedented rate and will soon eclipse the Exxon Valdez spill.

This time, instead of happening in remote Alaska, it’s happening off the coast of Louisiana, along one of the most densely populated shorelines in the world. To make matters even worse, this nightmare is unfolding in the middle of a deep recession, in a part of the country that is still reeling from the 2005 hurricane season.

How Will the Oil Spill Impact the Seafood Industry

After the Exxon Valdez disaster, the effects on fishermen and other local residents were severe and far reaching, both financially and psychologically. Sociologists who studied the populations of fishing villages like Cordova after the Exxon Valdez spill concluded that 20% of commercial fisherman suffered severe anxiety and as many as 40% suffered severe depression. Just ask John Platt, a third generation fisherman from Cordova. Three years after the spill, the herring on which Platt and others depended for their livelihoods simply disappeared -- and never came back. Exxon said the herring’s disappearance had nothing to do with the spill. "People's lives were ruined," explains Platt. "Here we go again," he adds, in reference to the oil leak in the Gulf, "I feel real bad for the people who are going to potentially go through what we did here."

Travel & Tourism Businesses & Suppliers Affected by the Oil Spill

The financial impact to the Gulf Coast travel & tourism industry will be reach far and wide, even without oil-covered beaches. Tourists such as sport fishermen may stay away for years. Trip cancellations have already occurred and undoubtedly more will happen. This doesn't just impact resorts and hotels & motels, but every business that benefits from the Gulf Coast's vibrant travel & tourism industry. Some of the Gulf Coast travel & tourism businesses that will lose income as a result of the oil spill include bike and boat rental companies, parasail operators, charter boats and sport fishing tour operators, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, among others.

Waterfront Property Owners and the Oil Spill

While Gulf Coast waterfront property owners may be lucky enough to escape oil spill cleanup expenses, many will still have losses as a result of the oil spill. Those property owners who have rental property or lease income may have cancellations and find themselves unable to re-book those times. This extends to property management companies and rental agencies.

Loss of Income Due to the Oil Spill

Loss of income will be significant for many Gulf Coast residents and businesses due to the oil spill. Fishermen, shrimpers, oystermen and others in the seafood industry were the first to experience a loss of income due to the oil spill, but are far from the last. Travel & tourism businesses and property rental and management companies have also been hit. Next will be business owners and the employees of companies that are suppliers to travel and tourism businesses. This will impact numerous small businesses that are unable to withstand even just a few months of reduced cash flow. Unfortunately, this will result in layoffs, further hurting the economy of the region.

Long Term Effects of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill

If you’re wondering how this will ultimately turn out, consider the situation in Alaska, 21 years after the spill. Less than 10% of the oil was ever recovered. In a study conducted by NOAA in 2007, it was calculated that 26,000 gallons of oil remain in the soil of the contaminated shoreline. Overall, the Alaska spill killed more than 250,000 birds, 2800 otters, plus countless seals, whales, and other species of fish and mollusks. Reproductive capacity in these effected species is down across the board, and many species are simply not recovering. To this day, you can turn over a rock anywhere along the contaminated coastline and find pools of oil just inches below the surface. By the time this is over, the cost to the Gulf Coast region is going to be counted in billions, not millions, and it could be decades before a full recovery is realized.

How Heninger Garrison Davis Can Help

A personal message from Lewis Garrison, a founding member of the law firm of Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC: "Our firm is in the business of helping those who have been harmed by the actions of others. Every day, we fight the largest corporations, which attempt to trample on the rights of ordinary citizens. We have a long track record of success----because we because we treat each client with the dignity they deserve, and we will not rest until our clients have obtained justice."

On April 30th, BP Chief Executive, Tony Hayward, made the following statement: "We are taking full responsibility for the spill, and we will clean it up, and where people can present legitimate claims for damages we will honor them. We are going to be very, very aggressive in all of that." Just remember: you can’t be counted if you don’t step forward and let your story be known. It is only fair that you receive compensation for the destruction of your livelihood and the environment in which you live and work.