Letters are going out this week to residents and businesses in New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish and the east bank of Jefferson Parish notifying them they could receive payments ranging from $1 to $463 for flood damage during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Associated Press reported.
The money is coming from a nearly $20 million settlement reached in 2009 with the East Jefferson, Orleans and Lake Borgne Basin levee districts.
Notification letters announcing how residents, businesses and individuals who owned property or were in the New Orleans area on the days Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit could apply for payment were approved by U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle on Sept. 24.
The the settlement stems from a class-action lawsuit, Jared Vodanovich v. Boh Brothers Construction Co., Llc, Et Al.
The lawsuit alleged that levees and other flood and water control structures failed and/or were overtopped as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita because they were not properly designed, inspected, or maintained, and that this failure caused property damage, personal injury and other losses. The settling defendants admit no wrongdoing and say that the levees failed for reasons beyond their control, according to information on the website www.leveebreach.com.
Three settlement funds totaling approximately $19.3 million as of Sept. 30, 2014, have been established. After fees, costs, expenses and class representative awards are paid, remaining settlement funds will be paid to individuals and businesses who submit valid claims by April 30, 2015.
An order filed in the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana on Oct. 16 defined the class to include: “all Persons (a) who at the time of Hurricane Katrina and/or Hurricane Rita (i) were located, present or residing in the Hurricane Affected Geographic Area, or (ii) owned, leased, possessed, used or otherwise had any interest in homes, places of business or other immovable or movable property on or in the Hurricane Affected Geographic Area, and (b) who incurred any losses, damages and/or injuries arising from, in any manner related to, or connected in any way with Hurricane Katrina and/or Hurricane Rita and any alleged Levee Failures and/or waters that originated from, over, under or through the Levees under the authority and/or control of all or any of the Levee Defendants.”
More information about the settlement can be found online at http://www.LeveeBreachClass.com.
Topics Catastrophe Louisiana Flood Hurricane
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