COURT APPROVES SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA TRAIN DERAILMENT
MT. PLEASANT, S.C., (August 17, 2005) - Motley Rice LLC is pleased to announce that the federal district court overseeing the Graniteville, S.C. train derailment case gave final approval to the class action settlement today. The class action lawsuit sought relief for persons with property damage and personal loss as resulting from the January 6, 2005 Graniteville, South Carolina train disaster.

According to Joe Rice, co-lead counsel and Motley Rice founding member, "We are happy that the people of Graniteville will be receiving fair compensation for their injuries and damages in near record time. We encourage class members to visit the claims center in Graniteville as soon as possible for assistance in filing their claims."

The claims filing deadline is September 15, 2005. According to Rice, a few citizens of Graniteville came to the courthouse, where they heard evidence and gained an understanding of what the settlement provides.

As a result of the settlement, any person - including those that may have settled claims prior to the enactment of the class action - will be included in the "class" and will receive the financial assistance necessary to cover any damage to their real or personal property, replace evacuation expenses and loss of income as a result of the evacuation.

About Motley Rice LLC
Motley Rice LLC is one of the nation's largest plaintiffs' litigation and transportation disaster firms. Motley Rice attorneys have gained global recognition for their pioneering work on behalf of asbestos victims, the State Attorneys General in their landmark litigation against Big Tobacco, and the 9/11 families in their groundbreaking lawsuit against terrorist financiers. Motley Rice attorneys continue to seek justice in the areas of: catastrophic injury; complex case resolution; consumer and commercial fraud; environmental hazards and contamination; medical negligence and defects; occupational disease and toxic torts; and transportation defects and mass disasters. For more information on Motley Rice LLC call 1-800-768-4026.