A settlement has been reached between the province of Quebec and the thousands of people who were trapped on Highway 13 during a blizzard two years ago.
Talks between the law firms handling the case and the province have been underway for the past year and their agreement has now been approved by a judge.
Hundreds of people were stuck on Highway 13 when several trucks crashed during a blizzard. During multiple conference calls emergency officials said the highway was closed, but nobody ever said that drivers were stranded in their vehicles.
About 2,500 people are expected to make claims and receive from $350 to $1,375 apiece.
When the lawsuit was approved 1,649 had made claims against the province.
According to the settlement, those who were stuck for four hours or less will be eligible for $350, while those who were trapped for more than ten hours will receive $1,100.
Those with a medical condition and those who missed work, as well as children and the elderly are eligible for a supplementary amount of $87.50 to $275.
The timeline for payments has yet to be worked out, but the lawyers in the case are encouraging everyone who was trapped to register online.
"That will be determined once we get the process approved by the judge but if you register on the website you will be informed of that so please do sign up," said Gabrielle Gagne of Johnston, Trudel, et L'Esperance.
Victims will have to prove they were trapped on the highway, such as by submitting phone calls, text messages, or photographs.
A separate lawsuit against the city of Montreal is still underway.
