Most of the plaintiffs suing Walmart and a bank as a result of the 2019 El Paso mass shooting have reached settlements in recent weeks, court records show. But the retail giant ended potential talks with 29 other plaintiffs following an appeals court ruling that paused the civil court proceedings.
The latest developments create the possibility that most of the Walmart plaintiffs will soon settle their claims stemming from the mass shooting, while others face months of uncertainty over the future of their claims. The only difference between the two groups appears to be when their court-ordered mediation sessions were set.
In May, Walmart and its Texas division reached settlements with 63 plaintiffs following court-ordered mediation, according to court records. But Walmart canceled mediation meetings with other groups of plaintiffs after the El Paso-based 8th Court of Appeals granted a stay of legal actions May 18, pausing the legal proceedings while it considered a request from Walmart to appeal rulings from the El Paso district judge overseeing the lawsuits, according to a filing by attorneys representing 18 plaintiffs…