Many laborers and deckhands who have suffered losses as a result of the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will have a hard time receiving compensation to cover lost wages as a result of not having the proper documents to prove they are entitled to this compensation.
Many of the laborers and deckhands get paid in cash and therefore don't have a way of proving their losses to the courts.
While many deckhands are lacking the necessary documents, such as tax returns, need to claim the compensation, others are overwhelmed by the paper work and are afraid of going forward for fear of facing legal trouble for not paying taxes on certain payments they received.
A number of charity groups, such as Horizon Relief, are contacting the workers employers, in order to try and help them claim the compensation.