Court Grants Final Approval of Avalon at Edgewater Fire Class Action Settlement

On July 10, 2017, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey granted final approval of a class action settlement of claims arising out of the January 21, 2015 fire that destroyed the Russell Building at the Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex. The settlement offers every class member (former Russell Building tenants) the opportunity to recover full compensation for everything that he or she lost in the fire.

The settlement establishes a claims process, using a neutral, professional claims adjuster who is required to apply industry standards in evaluating class member claims. In a number of respects, the proof requirements in the settlement claim process are more favorable to class members (former Russell Building tenants) than the proof requirements would have been if the case went to trial in court. There is no cap on the amount that a class member can recover if proofs support the claim.

The deadline for class members to submit claims under the settlement is September 11, 2017. Any class member who does not submit a claim by that date will not receive any compensation for their losses in the January 2015 fire. Lite DePalma Greenberg (“LDG”), Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer (“WGS”), and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (“CSK&D”), the law firms that represent the class, stand ready to assist any class member in preparing his or her claim form, in order to try to maximize class members’ recoveries. If you are a class member and need assistance assembling your proofs or completing the claim form, please contact LDG at 973-877-3813, WGS at 732-855-6066, or CSK&D at 610-642-8500.