Written by Tanya Terry, with photo by Tanya Terry
Many Flint residents have complained the process has been slow, but action may begin soon pertaining to the payouts for Flint Water Crisis settlement claims.
On Friday, December 5, U.S. District Court Judge Judith Levy issued to implement the payment process and direct letters to be sent to people who qualify for a share of the Flint Water Crisis settlement dollars. She stated:
“A letter shall be sent to each claimant or their counsel, if they are represented, containing a unique identification code that will allow them to access the payment portal, find their payment information, and select their form of payment. Letters that are mailed and returned to the sender shall be resent one additional time. Claimants who are unable to access an online system shall be provided with an alternative method of selecting their payment options.”
Almost 26,000 claims have been deemed eligible for a share of the settlement funds.
The size of the payment will vary, from $1,000 for property claims to roughly $100,000 for those claimants who were young children at the time of the Flint water crisis and who have had exposure to lead and related health issues proven, according to Special Master Deborah Greenspan.
The final calculation process to determine the exact payouts to the 30 different categories of claims under the settlement is yet to be determined by the special settlement.
Almost 80% of the settlement funds have been set aside for claimants who were minors at the time of the Flint Water Crisis.
The $600 million legal settlement was announced in August 2020 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel and received final approval in November 2021, with further approvals in 2023.
