Attorneys to discuss proposed Norfolk Southern deal with East Palestine residents

EAST PALESTINE ‒ A community forum to discuss the proposed Norfolk Southern settlement is planned Tuesday night at East Palestine High School.

The lead attorneys representing the victims of the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine will discuss the terms of a $600 million, class-action lawsuit settlement, according to a news release.

The event starts at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium; doors open at 5:30 p.m.

In 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed and caught fire, in the Columbiana County village.

Five of the train cars had a toxic, flammable gas called vinyl chloride that can cause certain cancers. People were evacuated and a controlled release of gas was conducted Feb. 6 to prevent an explosion.

At least 31 lawsuits were filed. They later were consolidated into a single class-action lawsuit by U.S. District Court Judge Benita Pearson in Youngstown against Norfolk Southern.

Last month, the plaintiff's attorneys and Norfolk Southern announced the Atlanta-based company agreed in principle to settle for $600 million.

The multimillion-dollar deal still needs court approval.

The lead attorneys for the victims are Conroy; Seth A. Katz of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine; M. Elizabeth Graham of Grant & Eisenhofer; and T. Michael Morgan of Morgan & Morgan.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Attorneys to host forum on Norfolk Southern deal at East Palestine High