Nearly $1 billion settlement reached in deadly Surfside, Florida building collapse
A settlement totaling nearly $1 billion has been reached in connection with the deadly collapse of a condo building last year in South Florida.
The sudden collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside killed 98 people early in the morning of June 24, 2021.
Various civil lawsuits connected to the case were all wrapped up into one giant $997 million settlement announced Wednesday during a routine court procedure.
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman, who has overseen civil proceedings around the collapse, was stunned.
“I’m shocked by this result — I think it’s fantastic,” Hanzman said. “This is a recovery that is far in excess of what I had anticipated.”
An $83 million property loss settlement was announced in March. However, that agreement didn’t cover wrongful death claims from families of the 98 people killed.
If one additional party joins the settlement, it will top $1 billion, local CBS affiliate WFOR reported. Hanzman will still need to formally approve the agreement.
Precise division of the settlement among the survivors and the victims’ families has not yet been established. The building had 136 units, 55 of which were completely destroyed in the collapse. The remainder of the building was demolished in July 2021 ahead of a hurricane.
With News Wire Services
