BP to appoint independent claims mediator

HOUSTON (Reuters)—BP P.L.C. will appoint an independent mediator to oversee damage claims that arise from the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the London-based energy giant said on Wednesday.

"We are absolutely committed to a simple, fair claims process that gets funds to people who have been hurt by this disaster as quickly as possible," BP CEO Tony Hayward said in a statement.

More than 26,000 claims have been submitted to date, resulting in payments of over $36 million, BP said.