I received a notice in the mail that I may be eligible for some dollars as a result of the West Virginia American Water spill and subsequent court settlement. This was the spill where a storage tank full of some coal-cleansing compound leaked into the Elk River upstream from the intake for West Virginia American Water.....of which I am a customer.

So, I know they did settle, but I'm clueless about these sorta things. My first reaction is it is a scam of some kind. Money for nothing? Must be a catch. But when I stopped and thought about it, it occurred to me that the lawyers (who I assume get a percentage of the total payout) would want to get as many WVAW customers as possible to file a claim, thereby driving the total cost up.....along with their percentage.

So, lawyer-types....what do you think?

Lawyers that do that sort of thing rush in to get a few plaintiffs and file suit, trying to get it certified as a class action. If they are successful, they file suit on behalf of the few early plaintiffs they sign up, and as representatives of the entire class of people who were similarly affected. And yes, the lawyers make the most money from these class actions, and they want the biggest claim possible.

If you are a member of the class, you can accept the settlement and get your share of benefits. You can also choose to remain outside of the class, and try to pursue your damages independently. Probably not the best idea.

So, yes, the lawyers are trying to get the most money for the most people so they get the most fees. But that's okay. No good reason not to sign on if you are a valid member of the class.

The court which approved the settlement surely directed that copies of all relevant papers be provided to all parties, including class members.

Get them and read them! Form your own notions of fairness.

It’s a lot of work.

Don't expect much, though. I think i got about $2.65 from one, and I just received ten bucks from another... although that one is in the form of a voucher from a company I'll never do business with again.

Yup, free money. If I qualify, I always sign up. Nothing to lose and cash to gain for three minutes of time filling out the form. In the past 4 years or so I have signed up for three such suits.

After the lawyers get their cut, they split the remains by those who applied and provided whatever necessary documentation was required.


1. Canon Printers- $50 over something about price fixing on inkjet cartridges if I remember correctly

2. Most recent one was a class action filed by Washington State AG on LCD panel manufacturers, also related to price fixing. Was expecting $75 or so and ended up with $270.


Sometimes you get a big surprise...

3. AT&T had a class action filed about telemarketing. The info I got gave an “estimated” $40-50 payment to each class member.

14 months later, I got a check in the mail from the settlement fund for $582. I couldn’t believe it, my guess is no where near the possible number of people took the time to apply.


This is the reason I don’t throw any mail away if I don’t know for sure what it is.

Okay, so not some scam then. I dunno, I guess I was expecting to have to send the attorneys a fee or something.

Cool, I applied. They are expecting $580 for the primary resident and $180 for each additional person in the house. I can't really claim my son in that time period, but still....

Thanks!