FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Class Action Settlement

FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Class Action Settlement

By Matt O’Donnell

Victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita who were housed in hazardous, government-issued FEMA trailers will receive $42.6 million from a class action lawsuit settlement that was approved Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt granted Final Approval of the FEMA trailer settlement on September 27, 2012, which will provide $37.5 million to roughly 55,000 residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas paid by more than two dozen manufacturers of the toxic FEMA trailers. Residents can also file claims to receive shares of a separate $5.1 million class action settlement with FEMA contractors that installed and maintained the units.

The FEMA trailer class action lawsuit (entitled In Re: FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2:07-MD1873) was filed after government tests in 2008 found dangerously high levels of formaldehyde in hundreds of trailers. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that can cause severe health problems to those exposed to it. FEMA trailer occupants had complained of health problems such as nosebleeds, headaches and breathing problems.

If you suffered symptoms or injuries as a result of formaldehyde exposure in a Travel Trailer or Park Model Trailer provided by the U.S. government which was manufactured,installed, maintained or refurbished by one of the below-listed Manufacturers and/or Contractors following Hurricanes Katrina and/or Rita, you may be eligible to receive a cash payment from the FEMA trailer class action lawsuit settlement.

The FEMA trailer class action settlement includes the following Contractors, along with some of their insurers, as Defendants:

Bechtel National, Inc.; CH2M HILL Constructors, Inc.; Fluor Enterprises, Inc.; Shaw Environmental, Inc.; Jacquet Construction Services; PRI/DJI, A Reconstruction Joint Venture; Project Resources, Inc.; American Radiation Services, Inc.; B & I Services, L.L.C.; Davis Professional Accounting Services, Inc. a/k/a Davis Professional Services, Inc.; Multi-Task, L.L.C.; DC Recovery Systems; MLU Services, Inc.; Smith Research Corporation; T-Mac, Inc.; TKTMJ, Inc.; and Del-Jen, Inc.

The following Manufacturers are also included in the FEMA trailer settlement:

Citair, Inc.; Coachman Industries, Inc., Coachman RV Licensed Products Division, LLC; Coachmen Recreational Vehicle Company, LLC; Coachmen Recreational Vehicle Company ofGeorgia, LLC; Coachmen Industries, Inc.; Cruiser RV, LLC; Damon Motor Coach; DS Corp. d/b/a CrossRoads RV, Inc.; Doubletree RV, L.L.C.; Dutchmen Manufacturing, Inc.; Fairmont Homes, Inc., Forest River, Inc., Four Winds International Corporation; Frontier RV, Inc.; Frontier RV Georgia, L.L.C.; Gulf Stream Coach, Inc., Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC; Homette Corporation, Hy-Line Enterprises, Inc., n/k/a FRH, Inc., Jayco, Inc., Jayco Enterprises, Inc., Keystone RV Company; Komfort Corp.; KZRV, LP; Layton Homes Corp.; R-Vision, Inc.; Monaco Coach CorporationPilgrim International, Inc.; Play’Mor Trailers, Inc.; Recreation By Design, LLC; Skyline Corporation; Skyline Homes, Inc.; Starcraft RV., Inc., SunRay R.V., L.L.C, and SunRay Investments, L.L.C.,; Thor Industries, Inc.; Thor California, Inc.; Timberland RV Company, Inc. d/b/a Adventure Manufacturing; TL Industries, Inc.;Vanguard, LLC, Vanguard Industries, Inc. of Michigan, Inc., Viking Recreational Vehicles LLC.

The amount of money you can receive from the FEMA class action settlement will be based on a Class Benefit Formula approved by the Court. If you received any Medicare/Medicaid/TRICARE/Veteran’s Administration/Indiana Health Services benefits, some or all of these amounts may be deducted from your settlement.

The ONLY way to receive a payment from the FEMA trailer settlement is to complete and submit a Claim Form postmarked by October 12, 2012.

UPDATE: The FEMA trailer settlement claims were paid in October 2013.  The settlement website and toll free number are no longer active.

Updated October 1st, 2012

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