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Judge approves $600 million settlement in fiery Ohio derailment
SO JUST TO NOTE OFF THE TOP, THE SETTLEMENT STILL NEEDS TO BE APPROVED BY BY A FEDERAL JUDGE. BUT YEAH, WE WANTED TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IN EAST PALESTINE, THE ONES WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED BY THAT. FEBRUARY 2023 TRAIN DERAILMENT, FELT. WE SPOKE TO ONE RESIDENT WHO SAYS HE’S, WELL, LESS THAN IMPRESSED. I LIVED HERE PRACTICALLY MY WHOLE LIFE. TELL ME WHY YOU RELOCATED. I RELOCATED BECAUSE IT’S NOT SAFE HERE. IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG AFTER THE DERAILMENT FOR ERIC KOZA TO SIGN ON TO A LAWSUIT AGAINST NORFOLK SOUTHERN. MY LIFE IS FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN, AND IT JUST AIN’T THROUGH THE DERAILMENT. IT IS LOCAL, FEDERAL, AND STATE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE. ON THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT THINGS, HEALTH PROBLEMS WITH HIS LUNGS AND LIVER PERSIST, FUELING HIS INSISTENCE THAT HE AND HIS NEIGHBORS SHOULD RECEIVE FREE HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL MONITORING FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. BUT AS FAR AS A PRICE, YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE ON MY LIVELIHOOD OR WHAT I WENT THROUGH. BUT NORFOLK SOUTHERN SAYS THE SETTLEMENT, WITH A PRICE TAG OF $600 MILLION, QUOTE, FURTHERS THE WORK NORFOLK SOUTHERN HAS DONE TO MAKE IT RIGHT IN EAST PALESTINE AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. END QUOTE. IF APPROVED, THE SETTLEMENT WOULD COVER CLASS ACTION CLAIMS WITHIN A 20 MILE RADIUS OF THE DERAILMENT SITE. AND FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE, PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS WOULD BE COVERED WITHIN A TEN MILE RADIUS RIGHT NOW. DO YOU THINK YOU’D OPT IN? I WOULD NEVER OPT IN WHILE THESE CREEKS ARE NOT REMEDIATED YET, NOTING THAT THE CLEANUP PROCESS CONTINUES, KOZA BELIEVES IT’S TOO PREMATURE TO TALK ABOUT SETTLING. BUT LEAD ATTORNEYS FOR THE PLAINTIFFS TOUTED THE AGREEMENT TUESDAY AS A FAIR, REASONABLE AND ADEQUATE RESULT FOR THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THOSE LEAD ATTORNEYS TELLS US THE SETTLEMENT COULD COMPENSATE ABOUT 100,000 PEOPLE. ERIC KOZA WORRIES THAT ONCE THE MONEY IS ALLOCATED, THE PLAINTIFFS MIGHT BE DISAPPOINTED. THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT WHEN YOU DIVIDE IT THROUGH THE 30 MILE OR 20 MILE RADIUS THAT THEY HAVE, IT, UM, YOU’RE TALKING INTO THE THOUSANDS. IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AS A PART OF THIS SETTLEMENT, NORFOLK SOUTHERN DOES NOT ADMIT ANY LIABILITY OR WRONGDOING AS IT RELATES TO THAT TRAI
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Judge approves $600 million settlement in fiery Ohio derailment
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million class-action settlement Wednesday that Norfolk Southern railroad offered to everyone who lived within 20 miles of last year's disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.Judge Benita Pearson gave the deal final approval after a hearing where the lawyers who negotiated it with the railroad argued that residents overwhelmingly supported it, attorneys for the residents and railroad spokesperson Heather Garcia told The Associated Press. Roughly 55,000 claims were filed. Only 370 households and 47 businesses opted out.Those who did object to the deal were vocal in their concerns that the settlement won't provide enough and that the deal was rushed through so quickly that they can't possibly know what the potential health impact from the derailment will be. They say it's hard to know all the risks, given the way test results have been reported by the EPA and the fact that the lawyers haven't disclosed everything they learned in their investigation.The judge's approval clears the way for payments to start going out quickly. The lawyers had previously said they hoped to get the first checks in the mail before the end of the year.Anyone who lived within 2 miles of the derailment can get up to $70,000 per household for property damage plus up to $25,000 per person for health problems. The payments drop off the farther people lived from the derailment down to as little as a few hundred dollars at the outer edges.“This outcome would not have been possible without the resilience and support of the East Palestine community and the broader class of impacted residents and business owners,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement. “We look forward to beginning the distribution of funds in the coming weeks to help this community rebuild and move forward.”When the train derailed late on Feb. 3, 2023, tank cars full of hazardous chemicals ruptured and spilled their contents that caught fire just outside the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Then three days later officials decided to needlessly blow open five tank cars of vinyl chloride and burn the toxic plastic ingredient inside because they feared they would explode.Since the derailment, the railroad has offered residents and the community $108 million in assistance and paid for the massive cleanup. As part of the settlement, any aid residents received from the railroad will be deducted from their final payments.“We made a promise to make things right and this is just one piece of that commitment," the railroad said in a statement. "We remain committed to this community for the long haul and look forward to continuing our relationship with the Village as we work to help the area recover and thrive.”
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million class-action settlement Wednesday that Norfolk Southern railroad offered to everyone who lived within 20 miles of last year's disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Judge Benita Pearson gave the deal final approval after a hearing where the lawyers who negotiated it with the railroad argued that residents overwhelmingly supported it, attorneys for the residents and railroad spokesperson Heather Garcia told The Associated Press. Roughly 55,000 claims were filed. Only 370 households and 47 businesses opted out.
Those who did object to the deal were vocal in their concerns that the settlement won't provide enough and that the deal was rushed through so quickly that they can't possibly know what the potential health impact from the derailment will be. They say it's hard to know all the risks, given the way test results have been reported by the EPA and the fact that the lawyers haven't disclosed everything they learned in their investigation.
The judge's approval clears the way for payments to start going out quickly. The lawyers had previously said they hoped to get the first checks in the mail before the end of the year.
Anyone who lived within 2 miles of the derailment can get up to $70,000 per household for property damage plus up to $25,000 per person for health problems. The payments drop off the farther people lived from the derailment down to as little as a few hundred dollars at the outer edges.
“This outcome would not have been possible without the resilience and support of the East Palestine community and the broader class of impacted residents and business owners,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement. “We look forward to beginning the distribution of funds in the coming weeks to help this community rebuild and move forward.”
When the train derailed late on Feb. 3, 2023, tank cars full of hazardous chemicals ruptured and spilled their contents that caught fire just outside the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Then three days later officials decided to needlessly blow open five tank cars of vinyl chloride and burn the toxic plastic ingredient inside because they feared they would explode.
Since the derailment, the railroad has offered residents and the community $108 million in assistance and paid for the massive cleanup. As part of the settlement, any aid residents received from the railroad will be deducted from their final payments.
“We made a promise to make things right and this is just one piece of that commitment," the railroad said in a statement. "We remain committed to this community for the long haul and look forward to continuing our relationship with the Village as we work to help the area recover and thrive.”
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