A national siren manufacturer has agreed to a $3.8 million settlement with 1,125 firefighters who filed suit claiming hearing loss.
Federal Signal Corp. has been involved in a number of suits in the past several years filed by responders who said the loud siren has caused hearing loss.
"I am happy that we have been able to resolve these cases with Federal Signal. Years of litigation and several trials have brought both sides to the point where settlement makes sense," Joseph Cappelli, who represented the firefighters, said in a statement released by the siren company.
"This settlement represents a very favorable development for the company. Federal Signal has strong defenses to these claims and we are committed to defending our siren products and litigating these cases as necessary." Jennifer Sherman, general counsel for Feberal Signal, said in the statement.
Under the settlement agreement, Federal Signal will make a payment of $3.8 million, reduced by the percentage of firefighters who did not participate in the settlement. In order to receive any payment, a minimum of 93 percent of certain claimants must participate in the settlement, reports indicated.
Some cases against Federal Signal are pending while others have been dismissed or resulted in awards to firefighters.
