Federal judge grants preliminary OK on $600 million Norfolk Southern settlement

EAST PALESTINE – A federal judge has granted preliminary approval on the massive Norfolk Southern settlement.

The $600 million, class-action settlement is "fair, reasonable, and adequate, entered into in good faith, and free from collusion," U.S. District Court Judge Benita Pearson in Youngstown said in a court document filed Tuesday.

She also ordered a final approval hearing on the issue for 10 a.m. Sept. 25 to consider any timely objections, attorney fees and any service awards, and determine if the allocation plan from the victims' attorneys should be approved.

East Palestine Derailment - Order Granting Motion for Prelim Approval by Benjamin Duer on Scribd

In April, the lead attorneys representing the victims of the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, and Norfolk Southern announced the Atlanta-based company agreed in principle on the settlement.

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.

Pearson also appointed Kroll Settlement Administration LLC to administer the agreement and distribution process. She also said all victims would be bound to the settlement, releasing all claims, unless they request exclusion by July 1.

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: Norfolk Southern settlement for East Palestine gets preliminary OK