It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in East Palestine, OH is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Always Best Care has been taking care of my mom for almost two years now”
“I Work for always best care and I love it the clients are great the people in the office are wonderful and they work with you .. They give people a chance to better there lifes and make a living by help others and I just love everyone in this company. I will retire from here ????”
“I have been with ALWAYS BEST CARE for about 10 years. The staff has always worked to make sure the Caregiver and I are a good match. One morning my Caregiver was unable to come. The owner of the company came to be my Caregiver that morning!! I have never had that happen with any other company. I ❤ ALWAYS BEST CARE!!! I recommend this company to everyone who needs a Caregiver!!!”
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“This company has a very kind team working very hard to make a difference in people's lives. Clients and staff. Owner has worked hard and professionally to give everyone the respect and chance they deserve!”
“Always Best Care has been taking care of my mom for almost two years now and we really appreciate their dedication and compassionate care. Thank you for everything.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in East Palestine, OH, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in East Palestine, OH understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in East Palestine, OH 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Being part of the largest settlement ever as a result of a railroad disaster should feel like a win. But for some, it feels like just that – settling.“I think a lot of people just want the money and to be done with it,” said East Palestine resident Jackie Johnson.Last week, a federal judge in Ohio granted final approval to a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern for the fiery train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023.The railroad operator, w...
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Being part of the largest settlement ever as a result of a railroad disaster should feel like a win. But for some, it feels like just that – settling.
“I think a lot of people just want the money and to be done with it,” said East Palestine resident Jackie Johnson.
Last week, a federal judge in Ohio granted final approval to a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern for the fiery train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023.
The railroad operator, which did not have to admit to any wrongdoing or liability for the accident, agreed to settle with residents and businesses within a 20-mile radius of the derailment site. Those who qualified faced the difficult choice of whether to reserve some of their legal rights to sue later, including for health problems that may arise, or take the money available now.
In the end, the vast majority chose the latter. The claim rate in the village is at 92%, according to attorneys representing residents.
On Saturday, George R. Thompson, an independent chemical expert with 55 years of experience, spoke to about two dozen residents at an East Palestine church about health concerns he has for the community.
Through his own analysis of the train's contents, he said he found that at least 120 chemicals known to cause cancer in over 20 organ systems were emitted during the vent and burn of five railcars holding hazardous chemicals in the days after the derailment. But he said the true impact remained unknown because the chemical stew could have created hundreds of additional compounds when burned.
With these results in mind, he said the settlement doesn’t go far enough. He said it should have required an independent expert to reassess air, water and soil test results from Norfolk Southern and the EPA. He said he wanted to see the railroad create a trust fund to compensate people for the fair market value of their home or business so they could leave the community if they want.
“There's just games that have been played with this,” he said. “The reality is that they're playing with your lives, and I would hope that you can develop a mindset after today that says I'm not going to sit still for this.”
Ms. Johnson lives less than a mile away from the tracks where more than 50 cars derailed and caught fire. When it comes to the lawsuit, Ms. Johnson only wants enough money to make up for the property value loss she’s suffered.
She and her husband had planned to move closer to their grandson in Columbiana, Ohio, but their plans were dashed by the derailment. Now, she doesn’t know whether anyone will ever want to buy her home.
(Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette)
The amount households will receive depends on numerous factors, including the number of people in the household, the age of the residents, the size of the property and how long residents were displaced. Households up to two miles from the derailment site can expect about $70,000. Those who live as far as 15 to 20 miles can expect about $250 from the settlement.
Attorneys will take 27% of the settlement fund, or about $162 million, and another 3%, about $18 million, will go toward costs and expenses of the case. And $15,000 awards will go to certain class representatives who closely worked with attorneys in the litigation process.
Based on the estimates, Ms. Johnson’s household will receive about $130,000 total, between the direct payment, which covers property damage, and the separate personal injury payment, reserved for individuals within a 10-mile radius.
“I'm concerned about making money on my house to get out of here,” she said.
East Palestine mom Zsuzsa Gyenes said she only opted into the suit because she felt like she had no other option. The derailment forced her and her young son out of their home and into hotels for 17 months.
She says she has no idea what she’ll end up getting, because the reimbursement money she had already received from Norfolk Southern will be deducted from the final payment.
Ms. Gyenes said she feels the settlement now is punishing her for making a decision to keep her family safe.
“That money is being taken away as if we were being paid twice, but that was definitely not the case,” she said.
Navigating the complex legal process, Darlington, Pa., resident Carly Tunno said she didn’t feel she had anyone to turn to, as she hadn’t retained an attorney herself. When she went to the settlement claims center set up in East Palestine, she said staffers there were unable to answer her questions and referred her to court documents.
She said at one point, she and her husband had different ideas about whether to take the money. Eventually, they decided to submit a claim, as they had already missed the opt-out deadline and not filing a claim meant they would get nothing. She said she would have liked to see the hearing postponed until the public, or at least class members in the lawsuit, had a chance to review what attorneys found from independent experts and testing.
“These are attorneys that were supposed to operate in our best interest,” Ms. Tunno said. “They did not do that.”
She said she also was frustrated by the lack of medical monitoring provisions. The court overseeing the litigation determined a medical monitoring program was not available under Ohio law, though residents can use the personal injury payments to cover long-term health expenses.
During last week’s court proceedings, Judge Benita Pearson also argued that medical monitoring was already part of a separate, pending $310 million federal agreement through the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. If approved, the railroad would be required to pay $25 million into medical monitoring and mental health services for residents for up to 20 years.
But Ms. Tunno said she feels uncomfortable with the testing being led by the government or its contractors, saying those two entities already had misled the community on the dangers of the derailment.
“They're still not giving us answers,” she said. ‘They're still not admitting to the extent of the contamination. We still don't have anywhere to go. We don't have the experts to go to. We don't have the doctor's offices that are equipped.”
First Published: September 28, 2024, 3:33 p.m. Updated: September 30, 2024, 8:07 a.m.
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million settlement between Norfolk Southern and people who live near East Palestine, where the company’s train derailed last year and contaminated the community. At the U.S. District Court in Youngstown, Ohio, Judge Benita Pearson ruled that the set...
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million settlement between Norfolk Southern and people who live near East Palestine, where the company’s train derailed last year and contaminated the community.
At the U.S. District Court in Youngstown, Ohio, Judge Benita Pearson ruled that the settlement of the class action lawsuit was fair, reasonable and adequate.
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People in Ohio and Pennsylvania living within 20 miles of the derailment site were eligible to be included in the lawsuit. Those closest to the site, within a two-mile radius, could get the most, $70,000 per household for property damage and economic losses and up to $25,000 per person for personal injuries. Those living farther away would get considerably less, down to a few hundred dollars.
“This is the best possible outcome in this situation,” said David Anderson, who, along with his wife and children, raises cattle and chickens in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, just under four miles from the derailment site. Given that distance, the family should get $45,000 from the settlement, plus $15,000 each for personal injuries.
Anderson said he was one of the first to file a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern after vinyl chloride was vented from the train cars and burned, creating a toxic plume that left residue around his property.
When Judge Pearson consolidated the numerous lawsuits last year into a class action, Anderson was asked to be one of the residents named in the lawsuit to represent the class. He was impressed with the judge. “She was about the process being fair. She was about the people who were affected being the first consideration,” he said.
Anderson will get an additional $15,000 from the settlement for his role in the class action, which includes hours of depositions and inspections of his home and tax returns.
Attorneys for the class action said they had unprecedented participation: nearly 55,000 claims were filed on behalf of more than 450,000 people, and less than one percent of eligible residents opted out of the settlement.
In addition, 97 percent of East Palestine residents filed claims for personal injury payments, according to the attorneys.
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After the hearing, about a dozen people from the area stood outside the Thomas D. Lambros Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, holding signs that read “Human lab rat” and “Dying from dioxin.”
As the lead attorneys in the settlement walked out, people yelled at them.
“That’s disgusting, you guys lied to the whole community,” screamed Jami Wallace, who had been ejected from the courtroom earlier when she scoffed at Judge Pearson for approving the settlement.
Wallace and other residents were told that the attorneys would disclose the results of contamination testing done by the attorneys’ own expert after the derailment. But they haven’t done that.
Wallace, who lived within two miles of the derailment site, opted out of the settlement to pursue her own lawsuit.
“They duped people into signing up. They bullied people, told people, ‘unless you have $1 million to fight it on your own, this is all the money you’re ever going to get,’” Wallace said.
Zsuzsa Gyenes, who lived within a mile of the site with her young son, signed on to the settlement agreement, but “I probably won’t receive anything,” she said. After the derailment, Gyenes moved to a hotel for 17 months, and the money Norfolk Southern paid for that will be subtracted from her settlement payment.
But she didn’t feel like she had a choice; she had to leave her contaminated home in East Palestine.
“I didn’t have an option. I was homeless. I was sick. My son was sick. We lost everything. I lost my job,” Gyenes said.
She and others want long-term medical monitoring for the community to track illnesses that might develop because of the chemical exposures. While that is not part of the class action settlement, there is a separate consent decree between the Department of Justice and Norfolk Southern that includes 10 free annual medical monitoring exams for qualified residents over a 15-year period. That case has yet to be finalized.
Given that the derailment and exposures happened, David Anderson is pleased the railroad company is paying out anything after contaminating the community.
“The railroad’s normal course of business is to fight into eternity and to just deny responsibility, and they have the resources to do that,” he said.
With the judge’s approval of this settlement, the plaintiff’s attorneys said in a statement that funds would start being distributed in the coming weeks.
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million class-action settlement Wednesday that Norfolk Southern railroad offered to everyone who lived within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of last year's disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.Judge Benita Pearson gave the deal final approval after a hearing where the lawyers who negotiated it with the railroad arg...
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million class-action settlement Wednesday that Norfolk Southern railroad offered to everyone who lived within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of last year's disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Judge Benita Pearson gave the deal final approval after a hearing where the lawyers who negotiated it with the railroad argued that residents overwhelmingly supported it, attorneys for the residents and railroad spokesperson Heather Garcia told The Associated Press. Roughly 55,000 claims were filed. Only 370 households and 47 businesses opted out.
Those who did object to the deal were vocal in their concerns that the settlement won't provide enough and that the deal was rushed through so quickly that they can't possibly know what the potential health impact from the derailment will be. They say it's hard to know all the risks, given the way test results have been reported by the EPA and the fact that the lawyers haven't disclosed everything they learned in their investigation.
The objectors had hoped the judge would order the plaintiff's lawyers to release the tests their own expert did after the derailment and address their concerns about a toxicologist who told them at one of the lawyers' town meetings that they shouldn't worry because he doesn't think anyone will develop cancer. That angered residents who have been complaining about unexplained ailments since the derailment and talking with doctors who are conducting studies to try and determine what the health impacts will be. Experts say it's too soon to know the health impacts.
“These attorneys were bullying people and telling them they were never going to get any money if they didn’t take this. People felt backed into a corner,” resident Jami Wallace said.
The judge's approval clears the way for payments to start going out quickly. The lawyers had previously said they hoped to get the first checks in the mail before the end of the year.
As part of the settlement, any aid residents received from the railroad will be deducted from their final payments. Wallace and others who had to relocate for an extended period while the railroad paid for hotels or rental homes likely won't get anything.
Anyone who lived within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the derailment can get up to $70,000 per household for property damage plus up to $25,000 per person for health problems. The payments drop off the farther people lived from the derailment down to as little as a few hundred dollars at the outer edges.
“This outcome would not have been possible without the resilience and support of the East Palestine community and the broader class of impacted residents and business owners,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement. “We look forward to beginning the distribution of funds in the coming weeks to help this community rebuild and move forward.”
When the train derailed late on Feb. 3, 2023, tank cars full of hazardous chemicals ruptured and spilled their contents that caught fire just outside the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Then three days later officials decided to needlessly blow open five tank cars of vinyl chloride and burn the toxic plastic ingredient inside because they feared they would explode.
Since the derailment, the railroad has offered residents and the community $108 million in assistance and paid for the massive cleanup that has cost more than $1 billion.
“We made a promise to make things right and this is just one piece of that commitment," the railroad said in a statement. "We remain committed to this community for the long haul and look forward to continuing our relationship with the Village as we work to help the area recover and thrive.”
Tamara Lynn Freeze said she and her husband ultimately decided to accept the deal despite their concerns about giving up the right to ever sue even if someone eventually develops cancer. She said the idea of having to go it alone against the railroad's army of lawyers one day is daunting.
“It seems like everybody kind of just wanted it to be over with. like the attorneys and obviously Norfolk,” Freeze said.
She and her husband live in his childhood home, which is some 175 yards (160 meters) from the derailment site. They will now decide whether to give up that house that's paid for or find somewhere they can feel comfortable planting a garden and living their lives normally again.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — A $600 million, class-action settlement involving Norfolk Southern is expected to get approved Wednesday in the fallout of the train derailment that affected East Palestine more than a year ago.What You Need To Know The community of East Palestine is still recovering after the February 2023 train derailment. The settlement is for those impacted by derailment, as well as the events that occurred afterward. The settlement was something households had to opt out of by July 1st of this year,...
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A $600 million, class-action settlement involving Norfolk Southern is expected to get approved Wednesday in the fallout of the train derailment that affected East Palestine more than a year ago.
The community of East Palestine is still recovering after the February 2023 train derailment. The settlement is for those impacted by derailment, as well as the events that occurred afterward. The settlement was something households had to opt out of by July 1st of this year, but the majority of residents decided to settle.
The train derailment spilled hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride. Officials decided to do a vent and burn process in order to prevent the cars from blowing up, but after further investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board said that it was likely unnecessary. Many that still live in East Palestine are concerned about the long-term health effects this incident could have.
Along with the class-action claim, residents could also add a personal injury claim to receive up to $25,000, but it leaves no room for people to sue down the line if they develop cancer or other life-threatening illnesses that could be related to the derailment.
Jess Conard, who has been actively fighting for transparency through this process, criticized the fact that Norfolk Southern didn't release the final report and findings until two weeks after the “opt out” deadline passed. She filed an objection to the settlement with the hopes of testifying on grounds of lack of transparency, but was ultimately not picked to testify.
She, along with the rest of the community, awaits the amount of money they will receive and hope to move forward.
“Every piece of new information that comes out just continues to devastate us every day,” said Conard. “We want this to go away, too, but we certainly don't want it to go away unjustified.”
Conard said she wants to see change in policy with legislation like the Rail Safety Bill.
Earlier this year, the federal government ordered Norfolk Southern to pay a $15 million fine in addition to the hundreds of millions the train company has agreed to pay in current and future clean up efforts as well as community health concerns.
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