Top Class Actions  |  July 22, 2022

Category: Closed Class Actions

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This settlement is closed!

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The sea and the beach are polluted with oil. A crude oil spill on the sand of a city beach - santa barbara pipeline
(Photo Credit: A_Lesik/Shutterstock)
  • A judge granted final approval to this settlement Sept. 20, 2022.
  • Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Plains All American Pipeline agreed to a $230 million settlement to resolve claims its negligence caused a 2015 oil spill near Santa Barbara, California.

The settlement benefits two classes: the Fisher Class and the Property Class:

  • The Fisher Class includes individuals and businesses who owned or worked on a vessel in operation as of May 19, 2015, that landed commercial seafood in California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) fishing blocks 654, 655 or 656 or who landed commercial seafood, except groundfish or highly migratory species, in CDFW fishing blocks 651-656, 664-670, 678-686, 701-707, 718-726, 739-746, 760-765 or 806-809 between May 19, 2010, and May 19, 2015. This class also includes individuals and businesses who purchased such commercial seafood directly from the aforementioned fishers and re-sold it at the retail or wholesale level.
  • The Property Class includes those who owned or leased residential beachfront property with a private easement to a beach where oil washed up as a result of the 2015 Santa Barbara oil spill on May 19, 2015. This class includes property owners whose beach oiling was categorized as heavy, moderate or light.

Line 901 — a 24-inch pipeline operated by Plains All American Pipeline — accidentally released crude oil in Santa Barbara County on May 19, 2015. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration found the oil leak resulted from ineffective protection against external pipeline corrosion and a failure by Plains All American Pipeline to detect and resolve this corrosion. As a result, an estimated 2,934 barrels of heavy crude oil leaked from the pipeline — 500 barrels of which entered the Pacific Ocean.

Fishermen and property owners affected by the oil spill quickly took legal action against Plains All American Pipeline. According to plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit over the Santa Barbara oil spill, the company’s negligence directly resulted in the oil spill and its subsequent damages to fishing zones and beachfront properties.

Plains All American Pipeline hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to pay a combined $230 million to resolve these allegations. This includes a $184 million settlement with fishermen and a $46 million settlement with property owners.

Under the terms of the settlement, class members in both classes are eligible for cash payments. 

Payments to Fisher Class members will be determined based on their landing records obtained from the CDFW. Each class member will be eligible for a share of the settlement fund proportional to the number of fish landed or purchased.

Payments to the Property Class members will be determined based on the severity of oiling experienced by each coastal property, the value of the property, and the amount of time the property experienced oiling. These factors will be used to calculate each class member’s proportional share of the settlement fund.

The deadline for objection is Aug. 19, 2022. Because the settlement classes were certified, there is no exclusion deadline. Class members instead had to opt out when the classes were certified. 

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Sept. 16, 2022.

In order to receive a payment from the Santa Barbara Plains pipeline oil spill settlement, class members must submit a valid claim form by Oct. 31, 2022.

Who’s Eligible
  • Fisher Class – Individuals and businesses who owned or worked on a vessel in operation as of 05/19/2015, that landed commercial seafood in CDFW fishing blocks 654, 655 or 656 or who landed commercial seafood, except groundfish or highly migratory species, in CDFW fishing blocks 651-656, 664-670, 678-686, 701-707, 718-726, 739-746, 760-765 or 806-809 between 05/19/2010 – 05/19/2015. This class also includes individuals and businesses who purchased seafood directly from the fishers and re-sold it at the retail or wholesale level.
  • Property Class – Individuals who owned or leased residential beachfront property with a private easement to a beach where oil washed up as a result of the 2015 Santa Barbara oil spill on 05/19/2015. This class includes property owners whose beach oiling was categorized as heavy, moderate or light. 
Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

Class members are not required to submit individual property records, appraisals or other documentation to obtain a payment unless it is necessary to verify identity or membership in the class, to resolve disputes, or as otherwise requested by the settlement administrator. The administrator relies on analysis of the plaintiffs’ experts and CDFW Landing Records to identify class members and determine settlement payment amounts. 

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

10/31/2022

Case Name

Andrews et al. v. Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. et al., Case No. 2:15-cv-04113 in the District Court for the Central District of California

Final Hearing

09/16/2022

Settlement Website
Claims Administrator

Plains Oil Spill Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91450
Seattle, WA 98111
info@PlainsOilSpillSettlement.com
1-844-202-9486

Class Counsel

Robert J. Nelson
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN BERNSTEIN LLP

Juli E. Farris
KELLER ROHRBACK LLP

A. Barry Cappello
CAPPELLO & NOËL LLP

William M. Audet
AUDET & PARTNERS LLP

Defense Counsel

MUNGER TOLLES AND OLSON LLP

VINSON AND ELKINS

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.