DETROIT — As the claims process for the $626 million settlement for victims of the Flint water crisis continues and Flint residents wait for their awards, a Detroit area federal judge recently granted the payment totaling $47 million in attorney fees and expenses.
In a court order earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Judith Levy authorized the release of a portion of the attorney fees and litigation costs, meaning law firms involved in the protracted litigation will be reimbursed for expenses incurred during the process as well as a portion of their fees.
Levy's ruling will release $39 million in fees to the law firms who led the settlement negotiations that resulted in a $600 million award from the State of Michigan, along with an additional $25 million contributed by the City of Flint, Rowe Engineering, and Flint's McLaren Hospital. Litigation against those entities and the eventual settlement negotiations took place over four years, spanning two different governors. The settlement deal was announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in August 2020.
