In re World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation

871 F. Supp. 2d 263, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184729, 2012 WL 2512927
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 17, 2012
DocketNo. 21 MC 100(AKH)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 871 F. Supp. 2d 263 (In re World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation, 871 F. Supp. 2d 263, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184729, 2012 WL 2512927 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER ACCEPTING FINAL PAYMENT REPORTS FILED BY ALLOCATION NEUTRAL

ALVIN K. HELLERSTEIN, District Judge:

This order accepts two final reports of the Allocation Neutral, Matthew Garretson and the Garretson Resolution Group, Inc. (collectively, “Garretson”), substantially completing the administrations of the mass settlements approved by this court. I order that the two final reports be filed, and posted with this order on the Court web page. The details follow:

1. The Settlement (“SPA”) with New York City and the contractors engaged by the City, effective January 5, 2011:1 The base amount of the settlement was $625 million (plus an additional $3.5 million towards administrative expenses). The base amount does not include Bonus payments and Contingent Payments, also provided by the settlement agreement but which are the subjects of dispute and have not been paid.2
[266]*2662. The settlement with the contractors of the Freshkills landfill — Phillips and Jordan, Inc., Evans Environmental and Geological Science and Management, and Taylor Recycling Facility LLC, effective January 5, 2011 and June 21, 2011: The amount of the settlement was $24.3 million, of which $300,000 was allocated for administrative expenses.3
3. The settlement with Survivair Respirators, Inc., effective April 5, 2011: The amount of the settlement was $4.1 million.4
4. The settlement with insurers associated with Lloyd’s of London, insurers of Weeks Marine, Inc., effective May 4, 2011, relating to the shipments by barge of debris of the World Trade Center from Manhattan to Fresh Kills, Staten Island: This settlement was for the aggregate amount of $28 million.5
5. The settlement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Inc. effective May 4, 2011: This settlement was for the aggregate amount of $47.5 million, of which amount $509,901 was allocated for administrative costs.6

The aggregate amount of all these settlements is $720.8 million, exclusive of adjustment, bonus increases, and contingent payment increases, discussed later.7 And the settling defendants agreed to pay an additional $4,309,901 towards administrative expenses.

The administration of these settlements, and the remittance of funds to the settling plaintiffs under each of the settlements substantially has been completed, in compressed time, transparently, without appreciable rancor or dispute, and to the satisfaction of those benefiting from the settlements. The Final Reports of the Allocation Neutral are attached to this order and shall be posted on the court’s website.

As to the City of New York and the contractors it engaged to clear the World Trade Center debris arising from the terrorist-related crashes of September 11, 2001 and as reflected in the Allocation Neutral’s Final Report, the Allocation Neutral processed a total of 10,112 claims against these defendants, and disbursed a total of $612,561,759.69 paid by the WTC Captive.8 This sum, less plaintiffs’ counsel’s fee and expenses, has been paid to the settling plaintiffs.9 The Final Reports [267]*267relating to the settlements with the other defendants described above add to this amount. In all, approximately $710,000,000 cash10 has been disbursed:

• $12,878,444 to Tier I plaintiffs (the plaintiffs proving the least category of injury) ($7,646,949 of which is from the SPA, and the balance from the settlements with other defendants 11);
• $19,100,078 to Tier II plaintiffs ($13,-461,462 from the SPA, and the balance from the settlements with other defendants);
• $12,092,183 to Tier III plaintiffs ($8,901,754 from the SPA, and the balance from the settlements with other defendants); and
• $661,550,817 to Tier IV plaintiffs, the plaintiffs proving the severest injuries relating to the toxins at the World Trade Center worksite ($605,-457,158 from the SPA, and the balance from the settlements with other defendants).

As I found when I approved it, the settlement with New York City and its contractors, although not perfect, is fair and reasonable.12 The settlements with the other defendants are consistent, and I approved them as fair and reasonable as well.13 The settlements emphasize payments to the Tier IV plaintiffs, the plaintiffs and their families who were most severely injured by their work at the World Trade Center. Indeed, Tier IV plaintiffs received approximately 94 percent of the entire settlement distribution— a feature of the settlements that was most important in my determinations of fairness and reasonableness. By limiting attorneys’ contingent fees to 25 percent and minimizing the effects of liens and transactions costs, the settlements ■ net to even greater significance.14

The Tier IV plaintiffs also will be eligible under the settlement agreement for Bonus Payments because of the very high percentage of plaintiffs who approved, and participated in, the settlement. By my order of December 20, 2011, I ordered these to be paid, in the amount of $55 million.15 An appeal by the WTC Captive and the City of New York and related defendants is pending. In addition, the Tier IV plaintiffs also will be eligible under the settlement agreement for Contingent Payments, payable each year for five years on the anniversary dates following the Settlement Effective Date of January 5, 2011, up to $5 million each year, depending on the number of New Debris Removal claims filed as of that date, and depending upon the amount of money having been paid by defendants to settle with opt-out plaintiffs and indemnify defendants with respect to new claims.16

[268]*268These settlements and their administrations reflect the skill, energy and resourcefulness of the attorneys, for plaintiffs, defendants and the WTC Captive. This last chapter of administration reflects the diligence, fairness and efficiency of the Allocation Neutral and the Appeal Neutral, Matthew Garretson and Kenneth Feinberg, respectively. Not a single complaint about this administration came to the court. All involved in these settlement proceedings merit great approbation.

SO ORDERED.
IN RE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER LITIGATION
IN RE LOWER MANHATTAN DISASTER SITE LITIGATION
IN RE COMBINED WORLD TRADE CENTER AND LOWER MANHATTAN DISASTER SITE LITIGATION
21 MC 100(AKH)
21 MC 102(AKH)
21 MC 103(AKH)

FRESH KILLS AND PORT AUTHORITY PAYMENT FINAL STATUS REPORT FROM THE ALLOCATION NEUTRAL

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Bluebook (online)
871 F. Supp. 2d 263, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184729, 2012 WL 2512927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-world-trade-center-disaster-site-litigation-nysd-2012.