(The following article by Sammy Fretwell was posted on the State website on May 26.)
GRANITEVILLE, S.C. — Myrtle Mills lived in pain for two weeks last winter after a poisonous cloud drove her from the house she shares with a daughter.
Evacuated because leaking chlorine threatened the town, Mills moved in with relatives. But they didn’t have a special bed Mills needs to ease the discomfort in her arthritic back.
Now, the 74-year-old Mills is among thousands who might receive money for their troubles. The Norfolk Southern railroad is near settlement of lawsuits over a Jan. 6 train wreck and chemical leak in the middle of town.
The settlement, to be discussed today in federal court in Columbia, would pay people who live or own businesses near the crash site. It would compensate them for minor injuries, property damage and lost income.
A Norfolk Southern attorney said this week the agreement shows the company’s commitment to helping people harmed by the crash.
The settlement is not anticipated to involve as much money as those cases involving wrongful death allegations, but would resolve minor claims from the Jan. 6 crash.
The wreck killed nine people, but more than 5,000 people evacuated as a second chlorine tanker car threatened to leak.
“We sure could use the money,” said Mills, who is disabled and lives on a monthly Social Security check. “We live hard. It sure would be a blessing to us.”
Among other things, the settlement offers $2,000 each for people who were evacuated and $200 per person, per day of evacuation for residents who didn’t seek medical attention within 72 hours after the wreck.
Joe Rice, a lead counsel in the settlement, said the agreement will allow people damaged by the train wreck to file claims and receive money without having to pay attorneys fees or go to court.
Like Mills, others Wednesday said they were interested in receiving compensation. Some had received payments from Norfolk Southern soon after the crash, but were hopeful they could get more.
Johnny Colyer, whose cabinet-making business was shut down for two weeks, said he lost thousands of dollars in business because he could not get back to his shop for weeks after the wreck.
Colyer said he received about $28,000 from Norfolk Southern, but much of the money was for two lost vehicles. The 42-year-old father of two said he also suffered a rash and lost jobs.
“I’d be the first in line to claim more. I’ve got receipts for $9,000 worth of work I lost. This was an accident, but it was an accident that could have been avoided. ”
Carmita Robles, 29, said her Mexican grocery story lost three weeks worth of business. Norfolk Southern paid the store $14,000 for spoiled food, Robles said. The store had been open only two months when the wreck occurred.
“We lost a lot of people who would normally come here,” Robles said. “I was upset.”
Not everyone in Graniteville would be eligible for compensation under the settlement. And those who are eligible would not be forced to take the compensation. They could file their own suits.
Robert Williams, who has lived on Hard Street for 15 years, said his emphysema worsened substantially after the train wreck.
“For over a week after the wreck, I was coughing up stuff that looked like lemon Jell-O that had started to melt.
“I don’t want to get rich, but I want them to pay for what they have done.”