The agreement concludes a lawsuit filed in 1989. The agreement will avoid more years of court battles and speed the money settlements, attorneys for both sides told the judge Thursday. A court-appointed lawyer will review claims and decide how much each family will receive from the settlement fund, subject to final approval of the federal court. That could take months. John Metz, attorney for the families, declined to speculate on the range of payments.
Families participating in the settlement are from as far away as California, Texas and New Jersey.
Some families that were contacted decided not to participate in the settlement, Mr. Metz said. They have the option of filing individual lawsuits. Settlement participants agree to end their litigation. The terms were revealed in July. Several who spoke during the court hearing said they support the settlement to end the emotionally stressful litigation.