(PatriotPostNews.com) – A federal judge approved a $600 million settlement for the residents of East Palestine affected by the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents are frustrated at the differences in amounts paid out. Some residents are being compensated $70,000, while others are getting as little as $250. The settlement limits eligibility for personal injury claims to ten miles from the crash site and up to 20 miles for property damage.
Attorneys may receive up to $162 million in fees. Dedicated claims centers are now opening in East Palestine to attempt to streamline the process. Residents have the option to opt-out and pursue their own lawsuits.
Many health concerns were excluded from the class action suit, including cancer and potential future costs for health-related issues.
Legal teams are hosting community meetings to discuss the details and fairness of the settlement. Future lawsuits from individual residents and state and federal bodies are still pending. The EPA and the state of Ohio have both filed suits against Norfolk Southern.
The EPA has ordered Norfolk Southern to fully fund and complete the environmental cleanup of the site. If Norfolk Southern fails to complete the restoration, then the EPA will take over and charge up to three times the average cost.
Congress is looking into new safety regulations to prevent future train derailments. A judge has already ruled that Norfolk must fund the entire cleanup process. The judge rejected the idea that the owner of the tanks and the chemicals housed within should be responsible for the cleanup.
The derailment occurred on February 3rd, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio, just west of the Pennsylvania border. The settlement does not encompass out-of-state claims. Some tanks spilled on their own as a result of the crash, but five cars full of vinyl chloride were intentionally breached in an effort to prevent a pressurized explosion. Norfolk Southern asserted that opening the five cars was not necessary.
Copyright 2024, PatriotPostNews.com
