EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Attorneys have reached a $600 million settlement with Norfolk Southern over a train derailment there in February 2023.
Anyone living within 20 miles of the derailment who did not opt out of the settlement is considered part of the class.
“It was I guess the best one out of one choices,” said life-long East Palestine resident, Tamara Freeze.
She is planning to file a claim with the East Palestine derailment class action settlement.
“We discussed it for—I don’t know—weeks. We basically came own to there’s not really anybody out there going ‘oh please if you opt out we’ll take your case.’ We didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to get back a little of what we lost or potentially could lose,” Freeze said.
She says she’d rather take the money now rather than risk getting nothing later on.
“If we went with another mass tort, then it could be another 5 to 15 years before we saw any results from that,” Freeze said.
Freeze lives within the two mile radius of the derailment. According to paperwork from the settlement, she can expect to get approximately $70,000 from the settlement. She says she doesn’t plan use that money to relocate.
“We don’t owe a mortgage on it. Even with the settlement, it’s not even half of what this property is worth,” Freeze said.
People wishing to file a claim with the settlement have until August 22 to submit their paperwork.