The City of Oakland has settled lawsuits filed on behalf of 32 of the 36 people who died in the tragic 2016 Ghost Ship warehouse fire.
The settlement totals $32.7 million, with $23.5 million allocated for victims' families and $9.2 million for fire victim Sam Maxwell.
According to the news release, Maxwell sustained "severe, lifelong injuries" and has "major medical expenses."
"This was a horrific tragedy that deeply impacted every corner of our community," the City of Oakland said in a statement. "Mayor Schaaf, the City Council, City Attorney and City Administrator express their deepest sympathies to Mr. Maxwell and the families, whose losses are imaginable."
The City contends "as the agreement provides, that it is not liable for these tragic losses."
In September, a jury acquitted Max Harris for his role in the fire and failed to reach a verdict for co-defendant Derick Almena.
The jurors found that Harris was not guilty and couldn't agree on a decision for Almena. They were both charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the victims who perished in a fast-moving fire that broke out during a party in Oakland on December 2016.
The criminal case against Almena is ongoing and a retrial is scheduled to begin in October.
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