The speed with which settlements were reached is a testament to the legal system's ability, the class action device's efficiency and mediation's power.
The judge overseeing the class action and wrongful death cases arising from the Champlain Towers building collapse last June in Surfside, Florida, has given preliminary approval to settlements involving both property owners and wrongful death families, comprising over a billion dollars in relief for the victims and their families.
The stunning announcement of the settlements, and the speed in which they were reached, are testament to the ability of the legal system, the efficiency of the class action device, and the power of mediation to achieve important societal and legal goals in response to a community tragedy.
The court stated that $96 million will go to the 136 unit owners in Champlain Towers South for their property losses, while over $1 billion will go to wrongful death and personal injury victims and their families. The defendants funding the settlements are a myriad group of over twenty developers, contractors, engineers, other professionals and their insurers. Once Judge Michael Hanzman grants final approval, the wrongful death and personal injury claimants will be required to submit claim forms for their respective share of the recovery, aprocess overseen by the judge with the assistance of two special masters appointed by the court. The settlements were the resultof intensive mediation sessions conducted over months with an experienced mediator selected by the parties and appointed by the court, and they involved tricky issues of allocation and apportionment both among the different plaintiff classes and the multiple defendants, insurers, and their counsel.
We will continue to provide updates and monitor this landmark litigation as the settlement process proceeds to final resolution.
The select mediators and arbitrators at UWWM’s Center for National Class & Mass Actions have decades of specific experience in class and mass actions and are uniquely qualified to assist you in resolving these legal disputes. For further information and scheduling, please visit our website.
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