Atlanta, GA: A lawsuit has been filed against BP, Transocean and other parties on behalf of Georgia residents affected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The suit was filed on behalf of Georgia residents who own property in the areas affected by the spill, one of the biggest environmental disasters in U.S. history. It seeks compensation for loss of income, loss of property value, and loss of enjoyment by property owners based in Georgia as well as punitive damages for alleged gross negligence and willful misconduct.
The suit is the first to be filed in a federal court in Georgia seeking certification of a class composed solely of Georgia residents.
Property owners have been deeply impacted by BP's damaged well, which officials estimate has been gushing between 1.5 million to 2.5 million gallons each day since April 20.
Chris Schorr, one of the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, owns land in Cape San Blas in Florida that has already been impacted. His land, which he's trying to develop, has lost an enormous amount of value due to the oil spill.
"I was planning on using vacation property rental income to pay for my son's college education," said Schorr, who lives in Atlanta. "But no one wants to develop property or rent vacation homes with the threat of tar balls and oily water. Now, I'm left with a property that has virtually no value that I'm being asked to pay on."
In anticipation of the oil reaching Gulf beaches in North and Central Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has expanded the closed fishing area to include waters off Cape San Blas, which is south of Panama City.
Tourism officials recently told Congress that $500 million would be needed to combat negative public perception due to the oil's effect on Gulf Coast beaches. In Florida, tourism was down 20 percent in June -- and appears to be getting much worse, according to USA Today.
The lawsuit, Schorr, et al. v. BP, et al., filed in the Federal District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, seeks damages outside of BP's $20 billion trust fund. However, any damages plaintiffs receive from the fund will be figured into the lawsuit.
