New claims administrator tours new local facilities

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The new BP oil spill claims administrator, Patrick Juneau, toured claims offices in our area Tuesday answered questions about the new process.

A new administrator

Patrick Juneau is the administrator of the Deepwater Horizon compensation fund set up after last month's settlement negotiation in a Louisiana court.

Juneau has some contentious shoes to fill.

The last claims administrator, Ken Feinberg, made few friends on the Gulf Coast. Juneau said the new process will be different.

"This settlement agreement is very, very detailed," Juneau said. "A lot of the subjectivity is out of the program it's more of an objective stand to make sure we get parity across the board."

Five new claims offices have opened in our area and they are staffed by dozens of workers.

For now, the process is starting quietly. At the Bayou La Batre office Monday, afternoon they're weren't many claimants, but Juneau expects business to pick up.

Who is eligble?

One reason for the slow start is, for many folks, there is a question of exactly who is eligible.

"When in doubt: file the claim," Juneau said.

Juneau said bring in your claim, or file it online and find out. There is a website set up to allow potential claimants to file their claim. The only people automatically exempt are those who signed a final release.

"We only handle claims where there is not a valid release and that's by court order," Juneau said.

Juneau said lessons the past claims process was a learning experience and now federal courts will have oversight on the new process.

"My focus is the future from this day forward. To make sure we get these claims processed, get them in and, if they're legitimate, to pay them promptly," Juneau said.