EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – Class action payments from the East Palestine train derailment lawsuit are finally being released after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected objections to the settlement.
Settlement administrator Epiq announced that direct payment and business loss claims can now proceed. Direct payments are expected to go out by end of June 2026, while business loss claims — still under review — are anticipated later in the year.
Personal injury payments are also being finalized, with most remaining claims expected to be mailed by March 31. Some payments involving minors, deceased, or incapacitated claimants will require additional processing and won’t be included in that distribution.
The $600 million settlement with Norfolk Southern has been tied up in appeals since it was reached — nearly three years after the February 3, 2022 derailment. A group of objectors argued the payout was too small and failed to account for future harms, but their case was dismissed by both the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, clearing the way for payments to proceed.
