This event has resulted in damaging, and sometimes catastrophic economic fallout for beach-based businesses. While a claims process has existed, the first attempt with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) was fraught with red tape and denials.
The second round with the Deepwater Horizon Settlement Fund began about a year ago, with the application process ending early next year. The process of putting a good claim application together takes a while, so the time to take action is running out. Nathan Sheppard of TITAN Enterprises is ready and willing to help with this very complicated process. A public insurance adjustor by profession, Sheppard is no stranger to filing such claims on behalf of his clients. He said, “People need to remember this is not a class-action lawsuit, we are not suing anyone. BP agreed that they were at fault and said that they would pay whatever the economic loss is. They have already deposited billions of dollars into the fund and are ready to pay. In a recent news article, BP goes on the offensive and is trying to get out of paying legitimate claims.”
“However, the court has rejected BP’s argument multiple times,” said James Roy, one of the lead plaintiff attorneys in the litigation. “Simply put, BP has buyers’ remorse because it guessed wrong on the cost of a deal, which it — for nearly two years — negotiated, co-authored, agreed to and sought court approval of. The notion that BP is somehow trying to portray itself as a victim is preposterous.”
“Anyone renting seasonal real estate could stand to benefit greatly from filing a claim,” says Sheppard. “Almost all businesses on the beach that were operating in 2010are very likely to benefit. application process easier for beach based businesses, but businesses do not have to be located on the beach to benefit from the settlement fund. There have been many contractors, doctors, software companies and car repair shops, to name just a few, in Hillsborough and Polk Counties that have filed successful claims. Beach-based businesses do not have to prove causation for any losses they experienced. The 1033-page settlement agreement spells out complex formulas and multipliers for a variety of variable expenses, revenues and industries.”
The settlement also spells out how losses can be calculated, and Sheppard says it is not intuitive: “We can tell very quickly how much a business is entitled to by entering information from their monthly financial statements, but we need 2007-2012. If a business does not have their books complete, the settlement claim can reimburse a generous amount for bookkeeping services in addition to the company’s losses. The claims applications we have to prepare are about four inches thick.” His company, TITAN Enterprises, works on a contingency fee so there are no out of pocket costs for their services.
“This is all we do; we are not attorneys that practice personal injury by day and file BP claims by night,” he says. “Our speciality is BP claims and nothing else. Would you go to a real estate attorney for an auto accident? Then why would you go to one for a BP claim? Leave it to the professionals. Any business that has not filed a claim yet, needs to do so soon,” urges Sheppard.
“You only get one shot at this and your time is running out;I’ll be happy to meet with any business owner on the beach to talk about your situation,” he says. “If you personally don’t own a business but know someone that does, TITAN Enterprises may pay you a referral fee for getting them to apply. That way you can do good by doing good. If you know someone who lost money that has not recovered, give TITAN a call.”
Nathan Sheppard is available to discuss any further questions regarding BP claims, and looks forward to assisting business owners in the claims preparation process. Remember, time is running out and you only get one shot at a chance to receive the compensation that is rightfully owed to you! Call TITAN Enterprises (727) 835-8578 ore-mail: oilclaimsnow@gmail.com for more information.
Just over three years ago, British Petroleum (BP) finally capped a massive breach that had been spewing raw oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 85 days. It was the lead news story throughout North America, and was reported daily throughout the world. In spite of tight security,images of oily birds and spoiled beaches in the Panhandle were flashed around the globe, sparking an immediate and long term change of travel and meeting plans.
Date: August 2013