Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has announced that Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of victim compensation funds after 9/11 and the BP Gulf oil spill, has agreed to consult with the Attorney General’s Office on paying claims associated with a deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair.
Feinberg will serve as consultant to the attorney general on developing a protocol for resolving claims filed against the State of Indiana in a fair and equitable way. Feinberg has agreed to consult at no charge to the state or taxpayers.
“We want to move to pay the full $5 million that the state’s law allows as soon as an equitable formula can be devised. My goal is to focus on the needs of victims and their families while minimizing the expense of lengthy and costly litigation. In light of the urgency for victims of the State Fair tragedy and the statutory limits on compensation, the advice of Mr. Feinberg who has faced these circumstances before will be invaluable in developing this claims process effectively,” Zoeller said.
Feinberg, an attorney, mediator, arbitrator and law professor, is best known as the special master of the federal September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, where he adjudicated claims from and determined settlement amounts for the families of thousands of 9/11 victims. Feinberg performed a similar role as administrator of the victim compensation fund for Gulf Coast victims harmed by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
He also was administrator of a memorial fund established for victims of the Virginia Tech mass shooting, and he advised Minnesota lawmakers on a crafting a legislative framework for the claims-adjuster process for the Minneapolis bridge collapse.
In his role as an unpaid consultant, Feinberg will develop a protocol for resolving claims from the August 13 incident, which the AG will use in making recommendations to Gov. Mitch Daniels for his consent.
Separately, Feinberg also will work to coordinate with the Indiana State Fair Commission on protocols for distribution of the private donations made to the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund.
Source: Indiana Attorney General’s Office
Topics Claims
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