DENVER (AP) - An attorney representing victims of the Lower North Fork Fire near Conifer says a state claims board has offered almost $11.5 million in compensation, a figure he calls a “lowball.”
Attorney Bill Finger tells KUSA-TV (https://on9news.tv/OAaO5X ) the proposed settlements exceed $16 million, but the board reduced those claims to $11,489,351.
The largest offer is nearly $3.2 million for Scott Appel, whose wife Ann died in the fire. Sam and Linda Lucas, a couple in their 70s, also died, and the state offered their family $408,000. Neither of those settlements includes money for emotional distress or loss of life.
Attorney General John Suthers says the board isn’t allowed to adopt “non-economic damages” in its recommendation to lawmakers.
The March 2012 controlled burn set by the Colorado State Forest Service killed three people and destroyed 24 buildings.
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Information from: KUSA-TV, https://www.9news.com
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