RICHMOND, Virginia
A judge on Tuesday approved an $11 million state settlement with families of most of the victims in last year’s Virginia Tech slayings that will avoid a court battle over whether anyone but the gunman was to blame.
Families of 24 victims out of 32 killed by Seung-Hui Cho will be compensated under the settlement approved by Circuit Court Judge Theodore J. Markow.
Four families agreed to the settlement, but were not prepared to go before the judge Tuesday. Four other families did not participate: Two have filed notices of lawsuits, and two did not file claims.
The settlement also covers 18 people injured, but their cases did not require court approval.
“The amount the families are receiving does nothing to offset or reduce the pain that they will forever suffer,” said Douglas Fierberg, an attorney representing many of the families.
Peter Grenier, another family attorney, called the settlement “the most acceptable and most reasonable outcome we could expect” considering Virginia’s $100,000 limit on liability in such cases.
