BP 'to face clean up injury claims'
BP's clean up of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill may cause even more problems for the firm in the shape of worker injury claims and workplace safety questions.
Experts said the thousands of people recruited to help deal with the effects of the ruptured pipe meant the company will inevitably face a rise in compensation claims, made worse due to the toxic substances involved in the clean up.
A BP spokesman said it took on 22,000 "hirees" and volunteers, but could not give specific figures on how many were BP staff and how many work for the company's contractors, which could also be responsible for claims.
Insurance firms may also react to the event by restricting their payouts of Jones Act injury claims for oil industry risks in the US, experts warned.
As there are a wide range of jobs required to deal with the damage, both onshore and in the ocean, legal and insurance sources said claims are expected to come in under workers' compensation laws of several states, as well as federal laws.