East Palestine residents may wait years for payments due to appeal of settlement

Oct 1

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

East Palestine residents may have to wait up to two years before getting paid out by Norfolk Southern for a disastrous train derailment in 2023, according to lawyers on Monday, Sept. 30. Settlement checks were reportedly supposed to go out by the end of this year but now that appears it will not happen after an appeal by one of the plaintiff’s last week.

The appeal challenges whether a federal judge’s decision to approve a more than $600 million settlement gave enough money to East Palestinians.

Some residents reportedly expressed outrage over the weekend about the appeal by a local pastor because they said they needed those payments to move out of town.

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Other residents said that they had deeper concerns about the chemicals they were exposed to from the rail disaster after officials decided to blow up the boxcars filled with toxic chemicals. Those residents want the plaintiff’s lawyers to reveal what their expert found when he tested for any lingering contamination in East Palestine.

Now, an appeals court will have to determine whether or not the settlement offers enough money to residents and if enough information was given to East Palestinians before an agreement was reached.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys vowed on Monday to do everything in their “power” to “quickly resolve this appeal,” adding, “It is tragic that one person is substituting their judgement for the entire community who wants this settlement, and instead of opting out, they have gone this route.”

Lawyers say it is likely the payments will be delayed six months to a year. However, they say the wait may be even longer if the case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court or gets sent back to federal court.

The settlement offers payments of up to $70,000 per household and up to $25,000 per individual. The funds are meant to cover health issues and property damage to the community from the derailment disaster.

Tags: chemical spill, chemicals, East Palestine, Norfolk Southern, Ohio, Settlements, toxic chemicals, train derailment, Trains

[KARAH RUCKER]

EAST PALESTINE RESIDENTS MAY HAVE TO WAIT UP TO TWO YEARS BEFORE GETTING PAID BY NORFOLK SOUTHERN FOR A DISASTROUS TRAIN DERAILMENT LAST YEAR.

SETTLEMENT CHECKS WERE SUPPOSED TO GO OUT BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR BUT THAT WON’T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF AN APPEAL BY ONE OF THE PLAINTIFF’S LAST WEEK. THE APPEAL CHALLENGES WHETHER A FEDERAL JUDGE’S DECISION TO APPROVE A MORE THAN 600 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT GAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO EAST PALESTINIANS.

SOME RESIDENTS EXPRESSED OUTRAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA OVER THE APPEAL BY A LOCAL PASTOR BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THOSE PAYMENTS TO MOVE OUT OF TOWN.

WHILE OTHERS SAID THEY HAVE DEEPER CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHEMICALS THEY WERE EXPOSED TO FROM THE RAIL DISASTER– DEMANDING THE PLAINTIFFS LAWYERS REVEAL WHAT THEIR EXPERT FOUND WHEN HE TESTED FOR ANY LINGERING CONTAMINATION.

NOW AN APPEALS COURT WILL DETERMINE IF THE DEAL OFFERS ENOUGH MONEY TO RESIDENTS AND IF ENOUGH INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO RESIDENTS.

THE PLAINTIFFS’ ATTORNEYS VOWED MONDAY TO DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR “POWER” TO “QUICKLY RESOLVE THIS APPEAL.” ADDING, “IT IS TRAGIC THAT ONE PERSON IS SUBSTITUTING THEIR JUDGMENT FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WHO WANTS THIS SETTLEMENT, AND INSTEAD OF OPTING OUT, THEY HAVE GONE THIS ROUTE.”

LAWYERS SAY IT’S LIKELY THE PAYMENTS WILL BE DELAYED SIX TO 12 MONTHS BUT SAY IT MAY BE LONGER IF THE CASE REACHES THE U-S SUPREME COURT OR IS SENT BACK TO FEDERAL COURT.

THE SETTLEMENT OFFERS PAYMENTS OF UP TO 70-THOUSAND DOLLAR PER HOUSEHOLD AND UP TO 25 THOUSAND PER INDIVIDUAL. THE FUNDS ARE MEANT TO COVER HEALTH ISSUES AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IN THE COMMUNITY.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.