According to lawyers involved in the case, the city of New York will be paying out $4 million to the family of Eric Garner, from a $5.9 million wrongful death settlement approved by a Staten Island judge.
Garner’s youngest child, 3-year-old Legacy Jayleen Garner-Miller, as well as his widow, Esaw Snipes, will reportedly receive the largest shares of the settlement: $1.3 million and $1.4 million respectively. Erica and Emerald Snipes will each reportedly receive $163,600, with their older brother, Eric, set to receive $204,00, and their younger brother, Emery, a minor, set to receive $482,000. Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, is set to receive $82,000.
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“I’m very happy that Legacy is going to be getting an increase in funds from what was originally proposed,” said attorney Lorraine Coyle, who represents the 3-year-old Legacy. She also stated that the original amount was under $1 million.
The last thing to determine, then, is what the attorney’s fees will be. While attorneys typically get one-third of settlements, Coyle stated that very little legal work had been done, because the city opted to settle before the lawsuit had even been filed.
The law firm Rubenstein and Rynecki as well as civil rights attorney Jonathan Moore are eligible for around $2 million in fees, though they have stated that they will let a judge determine the amount that they are awarded.