Naperville, IL - After three years of litigation, the Honorable Stephen E. Balogh, Associate Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit in Winnebago County, Illinois, granted final approval of a $94.5 Million settlement for damages arising from a massive fire and explosion at the Chemtool manufacturing plant in Rockton, Illinois. The fire created a toxic plume of smoke and dust that led to the evacuation of homeowners, residents, and businesses within a mile of the plant and a shelter-in-place order for people within three miles of the plant. The settlement is believed to be a record for an environmental class action caused by a smoke plume.
“This settlement is an outstanding result for our class members. The size of the settlement reflects the significant impacts caused to members of this community. I am happy that this litigation and resulting settlement can provide class members some measure of justice for the harms they experienced,” said partner, Ed Manzke.
The class plaintiffs were represented by Collins Law Firm partner Edward Manzke, a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee together with co-lead counsel Miner, Barnhill & Galland’s Robert Libman and Rosin Duffy-Gideon, Daniel Rock Flynn of DiCello Levitt, Robert M. Foote of Foote, Mielke, Chavez & O’Neil, LLC, and Plaintiffs’ Executive members Deanna Pihos of Miner, Barnhill & Galland, Steven Hart of Hart McLaughlin & Elridge, LLC, David Nieman of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, and class liaison counsel, Marc C. Gravino of Williams & McCarthy, LP.
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