"While we know this settlement will never ease the pain of those enduring enormous heartbreak, it does bring years of court proceedings to an end," said Attorney General Patrick Lynch, whose office represented the state.
In the settlement offers, now totaling nearly $175 million, Rhode Island and West Warwick were among the last major defendants to agree to the settlements, which must still be approved by the more than 300 survivors and victims’ families.
The town's settlement covers former West Warwick Fire Marshal Denis Larocque, whom the victims blamed for failing to cite the club for using cheaper, flammable foam on walls and ceilings for soundproofing in place of typical soundproofing material, despite repeated visits to the building.
The fire began when pyrotechnics used by the 1980s rock band Great White ignited the foam. Plaintiffs pointed blame for the blaze in many directions, from the manufacturer and seller of the foam to the club owners who installed it and the inspectors who failed to identify the foam as a fire hazard.
The town of West Warwick has agreed to borrow whatever portion of the settlement that exceeds its insurance, a move that must be approved by the governor and the General Asembly.
At least one plaintiff was unhappy with the settlement offers. Diane Mattera, whose 29-year-old daughter 29, died in the fire, called the deals "insulting" but said no amount of money could satisfy her.