BP Medical Claims

The $7.8 billion settlement that BP is hammering out with victims of the massive Gulf oil spill provides a system for monitoring health concerns and compensating people whose illnesses are found to have a link to the disaster.

Government and university doctors studying locals’ health haven’t found significant evidence of spill-related illnesses, but problems years from now remain a question mark. Gulf Coast residents, however, could still face hurdles in proving that rashes, shortness of breath and other maladies were caused by the oil or chemical dispersants sprayed to break up the spill.

While a previous BP fund had already been paying economic loss claims, it hadn’t paid claims over illnesses. Even with the settlement, observers said the legal wrangling over who will be eligible for medical compensation likely will be contentious and could take years to play out.