AG McCollum Warns Those Getting Payments from Gulf Coast Claims Facilty

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum issued a notice Friday urging victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to carefully review their payments before agreeing to a settlement with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility.

GCCF administrator Kenneth Feinberg has announced three payment options -- interim payments, final payments and quick payments -- to those seeking damages. Those who accept final or quick payments must sign a release preventing them from obtaining any future damages from BP, the oil company that owned the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded in April, leading to the spill.

"I urge all Floridiains to proceed with caution when evaluating whether to accept an offer of final payment from BP. I encourage consumers to consult with their counsel before signing any release," McCollum said.