People who live near East Palestine, Ohio, can now get $25,000 apiece for any injuries they sustained after last year’s Norfolk Southern freight train derailment on top of whatever money they get for property damage as part of a $600 million class-action settlement.
The lawyers who negotiated the deal have increased the estimated injury payment from the original $10,000 because they now have more information about how many claims there will be. One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Adam Gomez, said the original estimate was conservative to ensure that no one would receive less than they were promised as part of the settlement.
