Norfolk Southern’s $600 million train derailment settlement in Ohio has been rejected by fewer than 400 households

The lawyers negotiated the deal with Norfolk South on behalf of all people affected by the disaster February 2023 derailment said only 370 households and 47 businesses within a 20-mile (32-km) radius of the derailment had refused to pay for property damage.

Only 82 households within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the crash site that refused to pay were promised $70,000 in property damage. Those living on the outer edge of the zone will receive just a few hundred dollars if a federal judge approves the settlement after a hearing on September 25.

In total, 54,925 claims had been filed as of last week, and that number will be close to the final total because the filing deadline is August 22.

“It is deeply gratifying to see this community so strongly support this settlement,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement. “This outcome would not have been possible without their determination and commitment to holding Norfolk Southern accountable.”

A separate payment up to $25,000 The personal injury agreement is more controversial because residents are required to waive any rights to future litigation if they develop cancer or other serious illnesses. But about 97% of East Palestinian residents still sign it.

Some residents have complained that, although lawyers have said the settlement is larger than any other derailment settlement, the payments are still not enough to make up for all their suffering. Many do not like the fact that the aid payments they receive from the railroad will be deducted from any settlement they ultimately receive.

One of the main concerns of opponents of the deal is that the pollution left behind after dangerous chemicals were dumped and burned after the train crash could be worse than they know. That’s why they has applied asked the judge to order the lawyers to release all the tests their experts had performed in the community.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys said in their filing that they could not release those tests because it would violate the terms of the settlement. They sought to reassure the community that they had done extensive research to ensure the settlement was satisfactory, interviewing about 70 people and reviewing nearly 1.35 million pages of documents.

ONE separate federal settlement between the government and the railroad will ensure that Norfolk Southern will pay for the ongoing cleanup and for long-term health monitoring of residents and groundwater testing.

National Traffic Safety Committee confirmed The derailment earlier this summer was caused by an overheating wheel bearing that was not detected in time by trackside detectors. Investigators also said they determined that officials never needed to blew up five tank cars containing vinyl chloride and burning this plastic component because those tank cars will not explode.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys said that because of the extensive investigation they conducted, they were not surprised by any of the findings presented at the NTSB hearing in June.