Judge approves $1 billion settlement in deadly Florida condo collapse

A judge gave final approval Thursday to a settlement topping $1 billion for victims of the collapse of a Florida beachfront condominium building that killed 98 people, considered one of the deadliest building failures in U.S. history.

The decision by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman came a day before the one-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South disaster in the Miami suburb of Surfside. The judge praised the dozens of lawyers involved for averting what could have been years of litigation with no sure outcome.

"It will never be enough to compensate them for the tragic loss they have suffered," the judge said. "This settlement is the best we can do. It's a remarkable result. It is extraordinary."