Judge approves $11 million for Virginia tech victims families

University Business, August, 2008 by Michele Herrmann

A RICHMOND, VA., CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE APPROVED AN $11 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH families of 24 out of the 32 deceased victims in last year's Virginia Tech tragedy, avoiding a court battle over whether anyone but Seung-Hui Cho was responsible for the shootings.

Under its terms, the Commonwealth of Virginia will pay $100,000 each to the families whose relatives were killed. Eighteen people who were seriously injured will have their health care needs covered for fife. Similar settlements with families of four others who were killed are expected to become final Two additional families plan to sue the state, and claims by two others were unresolved at press time. Attorneys argued that quicker action by officials to shut down the campus after the first two students were killed would have saved lives. Copies of e-mails from a faculty member showed at least one classroom building had been locked down before the entire campus was alerted about the shootings.

The settlement will also provide money for the creation of a fund for charities and a hardship fund for victims and their families.