Recalled gas ignites legal battle

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Two law firms say they’ll file a class-action lawsuit on behalf of those who bought defective gasoline that was recalled last week in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.

BP distributed 2.1 million gallons of fuel containing excess polymer residue, and more than 10,000 motorists, mostly in northwest Indiana, complained of car trouble caused by the bad fuel.

The company said about 21,000 gallons were sent to 20 Milwaukee area gas stations – and it was only sold late Aug. 20 and early Aug. 21 before it was removed. BP said an unknown number of Wisconsinites reported car problems, but the state’s two consumer agencies said as of Aug. 23, they had no complaints.

The defective Wisconsin fuel was only for the mid-and-premium grades, and regular unleaded was not affected.

BP has set up two hotlines to help those affected, and it has promised to reimburse customers for their damages. But Indiana attorney Irwin Levin said the call centers have been hard to reach – no information is given unless customers submit data – and victims are not assured that damages would be paid.

Indiana lawyer Barry Rooth said people quote, “deserve justice, and a company like B-P will be held accountable for its actions.”

Some people have been calling Indiana’s Justice Department looking for ways to process claims against B-P. Most of the bad gas was sold in Indiana for eight days before the recall.

Company spokesman Scott Dean said the number of problems reported from Wisconsin is relatively small compared to the problems reported in northwest Indiana. The gasoline was shipped from B-P’s refinery in Whiting, Ind.

Wisconsin’s consumer protection agency and the Justice Department said they have not received complaints about the bad fuel. More information is available online at www.bpresponse.com.

Tags: wisconsin, business