Islanders learn basics of oil spill claims process
Many curious island home and business owners arrived at ‘Tween Waters Inn last Friday with pens and notebooks in hand, ready to take notes as representatives from several law firms presented an educational seminar outlining the current circumstances of the oil spill claims process.
The program was organized by the Sanibel Law Offices of Jason R. Maughan, P.A.
Partners from the national litigation law firms of Baron & Budd, P.C., and Morgan and Morgan, P.A. walked attendees through the process of filing claims in an effort to make islanders aware of their rights and the immediate compensation packages available to them.
“The information presented was extremely helpful to me, as I wasn’t able to attend the other seminars on this topic. What I found most interesting were the different types of funds being pulled from (for claims), the different time frames in which to do this and the number of options Floridians have to file their claims,” said Bridgit Stone-Budd, director of marketing for the Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce. “It was also very interesting to hear sort of an insider’s view on BP’s pay-out philosophy.”
But like many islanders, Stone-Budd is optimistic.
“The oil is not coming ashore. If it did, however, we would just keep doing what we’re doing — keeping members and visitors up to date via email, Facebook and our website as we get updated through the state, county and city administrators.”