Flint Water Settlement Approaches Final Stages as Claim Processing Nears Completion
The much-anticipated resolution of the Flint water crisis settlement draws closer as a recent federal court filing indicates that claimants might receive details of their compensation by late summer or early fall. This comes after a lengthy process initiated following the switch of Flint’s drinking water source to the Flint River over a decade ago, which resulted in widespread contamination due to inadequate treatment.
In 2020, the state of Michigan agreed to a significant settlement of $600 million to address claims associated with the crisis. This pool expanded further when the city of Flint and various businesses contributed additional funds to resolve claims against them. Despite the settlement agreement being reached, the claims process has seen a slow progression since 2022.
According to Special Master Deborah Greenspan, who oversees the settlement process, the majority of claims have now completed initial review stages. “All claims have now been through initial review and most claims are now finalized. We are in the final stages of the claims process,” Greenspan stated in a federal court filing this week.
To facilitate the process, Greenspan implemented a property review mechanism that alleviates the burden of proving property ownership for claimants. She elaborated, “We have obtained millions of records and documents to assist claimants with their claims – including birth certificates, school enrollment records, blood testing records, service line records, water customer billing records, property ownership records, and legal guardianship records. We also established a streamlined process to address claims filed by representatives of deceased individuals.”
Despite these advancements, some hurdles remain, including appeals of certain claims and approximately 1,200 claims lacking Social Security numbers, which are essential for disbursement.
Out of all submitted claims, 28,720 are currently deemed eligible for compensation from the settlement fund. The settlement categorizes claims into 30 segments, with 21 of these focused on providing compensation to individuals who were children during the crisis. The compensation is contingent upon documented levels of lead exposure, including blood and bone lead concentrations, as well as residence in areas affected by lead service lines.
Adults affected by the crisis are eligible for compensation under six categories, which address health impacts such as severe injuries, miscarriages, and Legionnaires’ disease, as well as reimbursement for water bill payments. The remaining categories deal with losses related to property and businesses impacted by the water crisis.
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