Columbia Gas Settlement Deadline Extended; Town Halls Scheduled

ANDOVER, MA — The deadline to file claims for the Columbia Gas settlement have been extended to Jan. 31, the class counsel announced Thursday. The lawyers will be holding three town halls over the course of the month, to help file claims and answer questions. The first town hall is Saturday, Jan. 4, at the Greater Lawrence Technical High School, 57 River Rd, Andover, MA 01810, 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. The initial deadline was Jan. 9.

"We are planning to hold three town hall meetings to help people file claims and answer any questions. Anyone who was impacted by this event is encouraged to file a claim — even if they already filed a claim through Insurance or through the Columbia Gas-managed process," Plaintiffs' Co-Lead Counsel Elizabeth Graham said in a statement. "This is real money and it's easy to file a claim. An average family of four could get a lump sum payment of $1,050 to $9,500 based on the severity of disruption caused by the Incident."

The other two town halls are in the same location, Jan. 18 from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Jan. 25 from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Residents should bring proof of residency in Sept. 2018, such as utility bills, pay stubs, cell phone bills, and lease agreements. Both English- and Spanish-speaking agents will be present to help file claims.

"The $143 million Settlement will pay claims for major losses, as well as any minor inconvenience experienced. This includes evacuations, evacuation expenses, loss of gas service, heating expenses, lost wages, lost business income, property damage, and emotional distress," according to the release.

Other details on the settlement are available here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.