LAWSUIT FILED FOR VESSELS OF OPPORTUNITY PARTICIPANTS
Apr 18, 2011
Mobile, Ala. – The Cunningham Bounds law firm has filed a complaint
in the Circuit Court of Mobile County on behalf of 95 boat owners who
participated in BP’s Vessels of Opportunity Program to help with
clean-up efforts following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These boat
owners were not paid as promised. Each plaintiff had an agreement with
BP that outlined how the program would work: (1) they would be paid for
“stand by” time; (2) they would be fully reimbursed for damages
to their vessels that occurred while working for BP; and (3) their vessels
would be decontaminated at BP’s expense at the conclusion of the program.
In a recent letter to BP Officials and Kenneth Feinberg, Alabama Attorney
General Luther Strange wrote, “Numerous Alabamians participated
in the Vessels of Opportunity Program (“VOO”) established
by BP P.L.C. in 2010. And, in 2011, they are still awaiting much needed
-- and justly earned -- payment.” In closing, he called the situation
“unacceptable and indefensible.”
Cunningham Bounds’ attorney Steve Nicholas said, “Unfortunately,
since BP has not honored its contracts with many of the boat owners who
participated in the Vessels of Opportunity Program, the owners are being
forced to take legal action. There are those who were not paid for stand-by
time, boats sustained damages that were not repaired by BP, and owners
suffered lost wages while waiting weeks to have their boats decontaminated
after participating in the program.