Fed Appeals Court Upholds Attorney Fees Ruling in Flint Water Case. Gov Authorities Poisoned the Water of Mostly Black City. Attorneys Will Get $200M, Citizens Get $400M

After about $200 million is deducted for attorneys fees, the fund will be split up based on the following terms:

79.5% for children who were minors when Flint pulled drinking water from the Flint River from April 2014 through December 2016. Of that, 64.5% goes to children who were age 6 or younger, 10% for children age 7 to 11 and 5% for children ages 12 to 17.

18% goes to adults for claims or personal injury or property damage. That includes 15% of the settlement fund earmarked for adults and 3% for damage claims.

2% goes toward special education services for children affected by the water crisis.

0.5% is earmarked for businesses that suffered an economic loss during the water crisis. [MORE]

From [HERE] and [MORE] and [MORE] The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Friday upheld a decision by a lower court over attorney fees in the Flint water crisis $600 million partial settlement.

The lower court previously approved the settlement and awarded attorney fees to the attorneys representing the class action participants. Although the settlement was “record-breaking” at $600 million, many Flint residents were disappointed in the total amount they are entitled to. They argued that the attorneys should receive a lesser amount of compensation.

The court rejected the residents’ arguments who suggested to lower the amount awarded to attorneys under the settlement (about 25 percent). The residents requested a more detailed billing record of the attorney fees in a 2021 appeal and the court denied this based on the plaintiffs’ “lack of standing to appeal the district court’s attorney’s fee award”—which the Sixth Circuit sided with.

However, the review claims process is still ongoing in Flint and at least $400 million will go to the victims of the water crisis who were especially vulnerable to the lead contamination.

Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and four other officials were previously required to testify about the water crisis, and Michigan’s attorney general brought charges of criminal neglect against Snyder for his role in the water crisis.