Judge asked to change settlement decisions by families of 9/11 victims
2008-08-08 15:47:32 (GMT) (Caymanmama.com - Featured News)
Manhattan, New York (CaymanMama.com) — Attorneys for the families of 9/11 are now urging the judge to rethink the decision regarding the rejection of the $28.5 million settlement. The judge had rejected the settlement amounts as he felt that they were excessive in comparison to the settlements that have been received by other survivors.
Alvin Hellerstein, the U.S. District Judge, had already approved the four settlements which ranged from $5.5 to $8 million, but he reversed the decision on July 24th stating the amounts to be “disproportionately large.” He said that the settlement amounts will “embarrass and prejudice” the people who have been settled earlier for less. In fact, he referred to the four victims’ families as the “modest wage earners at the Pentagon.”
The families of the four victims were among the 100 who filed cases over the injuries or deaths which occured from the 9/11 attacks. More than 5,000 other people received compensation money from special funds that were established by Congress who distributed more than $7 billion to the fund.
Hellerstein said that the individuals who go to court usually win larger awards in comparison to those who opt to file claims with the Victim Compensation Fund. He said those who lodged the lawsuits might have had to suffer greater expenses, more risks and more litigation challenges. All the settlement details that were not rejected are kept a secret.
Hellerstein criticized the attorneys who are fighting for the four settlements touting that 25% of the fee that they asked for was greater than 15% that is received by other attorneys who handle such cases. He also accused the solicitors of trying by all means to get a “very large windfall” of more than about $7 million out of $28.5 million that was agreed by the insurance companies regarding the airport security and other airlines services.
This information is brought to you by Sullivan Papain Block McGrath & Cannavo P.C, New York/New Jersey’s leading Personal Injury Trial Law Firm.
The law firm of Sullivan Papain Block McGrath & Cannavo P.C. has played a large role in the rights of the victims of the World Trade Center attacks. Michael N. Block specializes in 9/11 litigation on behalf of firefighters and other fire related litigation. For more information about this law firm, click here to read more about this New York fire related litigation lawyer
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