179 Minnesota Bridge Victims File Claims

A state compensation fund has received 179 claims from victims of the Minneapolis bridge collapse.

Attorney Susan Holden says that’s the number of claims that came in by the deadline on Wednesday.

She says other claims could be postmarked by the deadline but not yet received.

Holden heads a three-lawyer panel that will hold hearings for each victim and determine how to divide up $36.6 million among them. The panel has already started hearings and will schedule the rest by the end of January.

The panel has until the end of February to make compensation offers to victims.

The Aug. 1, 2007, bridge collapse killed 13 people and injured 145.