Norfolk Southern Railroad has agreed to pay USD 600 million after the derailment in Ohio, USA, in February 2023.
The operator said the agreement, if approved by the court, would settle all claims within a 20-mile (32km) radius of the derailment area. For residents who want to participate, injury claims will be settled within a 16 km (10 mile) radius of the derailment site.
Norfolk Southern officials added that individuals and businesses will be able to use the indemnity as they see fit to offset the negative impact of the rail accident, which may include medical care costs, restoration of destroyed property or any other net commercial loss. The company wanted to make it clear that the award does not constitute an admission of liability for the February 2023 Ohio rail accident.
Norfolk Southern has already paid out more than USD 1.1 billion following the derailment, including USD 104 million in direct aid to the village of East Palestine and its residents.
Ohio derailment followed by massive fire
The Ohio derailment occurred in February 2023, when a 50-car train went off the tracks and the train wreck sparked a massive fire.
The train derailed near the border between the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania (north-eastern USA). Several of the train’s cars could be seen on fire in images posted on social media from East Palestine, a town northwest of Pittsburgh.
Emergency crews evacuated residents from their homes within a mile (1.6 km) of the fire. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported. The freight train, carrying more than 100 cars plus flammable materials and fuels, was traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania.
Share on:
