Sexual-abuse survivors who signed up for a quick $3,500 payment option in the Boy Scouts of America’s bankruptcy case could get their money about 18 months after the youth group’s chapter 11 plan is approved, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. That “achievable” timetable was disclosed Tuesday by a victims’ representative during a trial where the Boy Scouts are seeking approval to exit chapter 11 and leave behind a $2.7 billion compensation trust. James Patton, the legal representative for future claimants, testified in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., that the trust could require hundreds of thousands of hours to process the roughly 82,200 individual claims filed. Of those, more than 6,700 of those who supported the bankruptcy plan have opted for expedited $3,500 payments, rather than subjecting their claim to the general trust distribution procedures for evaluation. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re getting a payment within the next 18 months,” Mr. Patton said of those opting for speedier payments. “I think that is achievable.” For those who haven’t selected the expedited option, the process will take longer as the settlement trust values victims’ claims based on the severity, location and duration of the abuse, among other factors.
