According to WTHR in Indianapolis, the victims of the Indiana State Fair tragedy are being compensated. Seven people died and dozens were injured when high winds at the fair caused the entire stage to collapse prior to Sugarland performing. All but one of 65 claimants accepted the state’s settlement offer. This includes the estates of seven people who died at the Aug. 13 concert.
The state is paying out $5 million total to the victims, the maximum under Indiana law. The estates of the deceased will receive more than $300,000 each, and the remainder will be divided among the other victims. The lone offer to be rejected was less than $1,800 to a minor child. Several people injured received more than those who died. A 10-year-old boy from Kentucky received $366,000 after suffering a fractured skulls. His mother received more than $101,000 for medical expenses.
“Deciding on compensation for the victims of the State Fair tragedy is one of the most difficult duties the Indiana Attorney General’s Office has ever undertaken. From the start, we knew that no matter how we divided the $5 million available, it could never replace the seven lives lost nor erase the pain of the injured and grieving. We did all that was possible to treat victims equitably and to assist them with their medical and financial needs within the amount the law allows,” Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said in a statement.
Fair officials raised and distributed an additional $800,000 in donations for the victims.
Sugarland returned to Indianapolis Oct. 28 for a free concert at Conseco Fieldhouse to raise money for victims.
