6,500 Claims, Two Lawsuits Filed Against BP Over Bad Gas Recall

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 28, 2012 2:10PM

BP said it’s received over 6,500 claims for repairs by customers who bought bad gasoline delivered from its Whiting, Ind. refinery. Two lawsuits have also been filed in U.S. District Court in Hammond seeking class-action status.

The gasoline contained “a higher than normal level of polymer residue” and led to hard starts or no starts for motorists who purchased the gasoline. Of the claims, 4,000 were filed by Indiana residents, 2,000 by Illinois residents and the balance in Wisconsin and other states.

BP spokesman Scott Dean wouldn’t comment on the lawsuits. The lead plaintiffs in each claim the tainted gas resulted in over $1,000 in repairs. Dean did say that BP has started paying claims and expects that process to speed up once it receives copies of customers’ repair receipts.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office launched an investigation into the recall last week. Zoeller said he did so to ensure consumers’ rights were protected.