January 13, 2015 — The victims of a Canadian railroad disaster were awarded $200 million from with the now-bankrupt rail company, but the town’s mayor says that is only a fraction of what is needed, according to the Montreal Gazette.
The disaster occurred in July 2013 and involved a crude oil tanker car that derailed while passing through the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, population 6,000.
The accident set off several massive explosions that leveled a large section of the downtown core and killed 48 people. Most of the victims were at the Musi-Café, which was destroyed.
The oil was being transported in a DOT-111 tanker, which were known to rupture during derailments since safety studies were published in the early 1990s. The rail company was accused of negligence for using the flawed tanker car.
As the settlement currently stands, only about $50 million is being paid out to families of those who died, working out to about $1 million per family. Another $19 million has been tagged for people with bodily injuries and $29 million for property damage. The government is taking a 52% cut of the payout, but that could change if the settlement increases.
Lawyers are hoping the settlement will be “significantly higher” before it is approved. Robert Keach, the appointed trustee for the bankruptcy of Montreal Maine and Atlantic Canada Ltd. (MMA), said:
“Due to the diligence and respect by all parties associated with this plan in Canada and the United States, we have put forward a favorable resolution. With continued diligence by all parties, the settlement amount will be significantly higher.”
Do I have a Train & Railroad Accident Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting train and railroad induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured or had property damage in a railroad accident, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Train & Railroad Accident Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
