Gulf Coast Claims Problems Blamed On Huge Numbers Submitted

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Gulf Coast claims administrator Kenneth Feinberg says there are inconsistencies in how claims are paid. He says it sometimes takes too long to get a check, and the system isn't as transparent as it could be.

"I think they're all related to the volume of claims -- the sheer magnitude of the task, where it's going to be inevitable there's going to be inconsistency. You try and minimize it. But I acknowledge the problem."

Feinberg says nearly $4 billion has been paid from the $20 billion fund the White House negotiated with BP. He says 850,000 claims have been filed so far, with more than a quarter-million in the last eight weeks. He says he will keep insisting that claims be supported by documentation.
For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming.