Texas Oil Spill Lawyer
A bucket-sized load of gobs of tar balls first reached Texas shores July 5, 2010. The arrival meant the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster has affected all five Gulf states. The British Petroleum (BP) spill in the Gulf of Mexico had started more than two months earlier off the coast of Louisiana.
Economic Impact of BP Oil Spill in the Gulf
Hit hardest by the oil spill include:
- Commercial fishing jobs, including shrimpers and oyster farmers
- Fishing recreation
- Tourism industry
- Travel industry
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Boat building
- Businesses servicing all the above
- Home and commercial property values
As the other Gulf states, Texas has a healthy maritime industry, generally. Spread along the coast of Port Arthur to Port Isabel, the Texas maritime industry employs thousands of workers. So, it comes as no surprise that the Gulf oil spill has wounded a once thriving region. Workers, business owners and property owners across the region are losing jobs, closing businesses and losing money as property values continue to drop.
Gulf Travel Industry Feels the Burn
Oxford Economics has projected the cost to the travel industry in the region to reach $22.7 billion over the next three years.
“Travel is a perception business and the impact of disasters like the BP oil spill on the industry is actually predictable,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. The region employs about 400,000 people in travel-industry related jobs.
Sports Fishing Industry Hit by BP Oil Spill
The fishing industry extends beyond commercial fishing. Sport fishing is a lucrative business throughout the Gulf. The hobby affects many small business owners. These include:
- Bait and tackle shops
- Marinas and all their associated businesses
- Charter boats
- Hotels
- Gas stations
Then there are the costs to laid-off oil workers. A freeze on drilling endangers 24,000 jobs just in Louisiana. That represents almost $2 billion in lost wages.
Personal Stories from the Gulf Include:
- A woman who said the $1,600 her husband, an out-of-work oil worker, brought in last month barely supports them and their six children. “Please take into account that you are talking about people,” (not numbers, not politics) “but my whole Louisiana family.”
- The president of the Center for Coastal Conservation, a sports fishing advocacy group, said, “If the entire Gulf were closed to recreational fishing from May to August, the region would lose $1.1 billion and about 19,000 jobs.”
- The owner of the region’s oldest oyster processing business, started in 1876, told a presidential panel that the future of his company is grim. “Due to this unnatural catastrophe in our water, P&J may forever be extinct,” he said.
Gulf Oil Spill Lawyers
If you are among the many thousands of people hurt financially by the BP oil spill, you should contact a Gulf oil spill lawyer. These attorneys specialize in obtaining compensation for individuals and families hurt by the disaster. Our attorneys are investigating lawsuits on behalf of people from all walks of life who have been devastated by the Gulf oil spill.
We are available to help fishermen, shrimpers, oyster farmers, others involved in the seafood industry, hotel and restaurant owners and workers and more. If you’ve been impacted, don’t sit back and let your family suffer. We would like to help you get the compensation you need and deserve by filing an oil spill claim.
Contact a Texas Oil Spill Attorney
To speak with an oil spill attorney about a claim in the Texas area, contact us today. We will discuss your individual concerns and circumstances privately and for free to determine the best legal approach.