Fewer than 400 households reject $600 million Ohio train derailment settlement

abcnews.go.com:

Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement despite reservations about whether the deal offers enough

Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement despite residents' reservations about whether the deal offers enough, so lawyers argue the agreement should be approved later this month.

The lawyers who negotiated the deal with Norfolk Southern on behalf of everyone affected by the disastrous February 2023 derailment said only 370 households and 47 businesses in the 20-mile (32-kilometer) radius around the derailment opted out of the property damage payments.

That includes only 82 opt-outs from households within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the crash who were promised $70,000 for property damage. People who lived at the outer edge of the area will only receive a few hundred dollars if a federal judge approves the settlement after a Sept. 25 hearing.

Altogether, 54,925 claims had been filed as of last week, and that number should be close to the final total because there was an Aug. 22 deadline to submit forms.

“It is deeply satisfying that this community overwhelmingly supports this settlement," the plaintiffs' lawyers said in a statement. “This result would not have been possible without their resolve and determination to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.”

A separate payment of up to $25,000 for personal injuries was more controversial because residents were required to give up any right to sue in the future if they develop cancer or other serious ailments. But some 97% of East Palestine residents still signed onto that.

Some residents have complained that even