More than 900 people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire | Grenfell Tower Fire

[ad_1]

More than 900 bereaved family members, survivors and local residents affected by the devastating Grenfell Tower fire have agreed to settle their civil claims arising from the fire.

The fire at the tower block in west London killed 72 people in June 2017. Those involved in the legal action were represented by 14 companies who maintained the agreement did not affect the long-running public inquiry, headed by Sir Martin Moore. -Beck, who investigates the circumstances that led to the fire and its surroundings. It has not yet published its report.

The agreement also will not affect the possibility of any future criminal charges being brought. “The fight for justice continues,” the group added.

The companies involved said in a statement: “The settlement is completely independent and has no impact on the ongoing public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which is due to publish its report in 2023, or the ongoing criminal investigation into it. The Crown Prosecution Service is expected to make a decision on whether to pursue charges.” criminal charges against those responsible for the fire following the publication of the final Grenfell Tower Investigative Report”.

In these respects, BSRs [bereaved family members, survivors and local residents] The fight for justice continues.

“Finally, we must realize that no amount of damage can ever be sufficient to adequately compensate those affected by the fire.”

The lawyers said the settlement did not cover all of the fire’s victims and that the amount of compensation the 900 plaintiffs would receive would be shared “according to their own circumstances.”

A spokesperson for the Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organization (KCTMO), the organization appointed by the local council to manage its entire housing stock, said “cash settlement will not mitigate the loss and trauma”, but welcomed it as a step towards justice for those involved.

Cladding giant Arconic said it was among the companies that took part in the High Court case and agreed to settle. She added that she “has also agreed to contribute to the restorative justice project to benefit the community affected by the fire.”

A spokesperson said: “Arconic continues to express its deepest sympathies with the residents of Greenville and their families, and appreciates the significance of this achievement in delivering a resolution that reduces the delay and stress for plaintiffs that may result from lengthy legal proceedings.”

Skip promoting previous newsletters

Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, for free every morning of the week

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements, and content funded by third parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

After promoting the newsletter

Concluding notes to the inquest in November, lead attorney Richard Millett KC accused the companies of a “merry round of harassment” in order to protect their own interests.

Millett said the “web of blame” created by the core participants’ refusal to accept responsibility would make the task of the commission, which must examine the circumstances that led to the deaths, more difficult.

It also highlighted a number of issues at play in the build-up to the tragedy, including poor regulation, inadequate legislation, the impact of commercial interests and “failure to pay due respect to the idea of ​​’home’ as a physical aspect of human privacy, agency, safety and dignity”.

The inquest heard that many of the organizations involved in the Grenfell Tower project had failed to accept blame for their role in the events leading up to the disaster, showing a “lack of respect” for the victims and their families.

[ad_2]