Around 200,000 Kansas City metro residents who got caught running red-lights by traffic cameras are getting the chance for a partial refund of their tickets.
A class action lawsuit involving 27 municipalities across Missouri has been settled by American Traffic Solutions, the company that leases the state's red-light cameras.
The settlement requires ATS to pay 20 percent refunds to citizens who successfully apply for them.
ATS has reportedly sent out 900,000 notices across Missouri, 200,000 of which are specifically in the Kansas City metro.
The lawsuit plaintiffs allege a number of reasons for bringing action against ATS, stating that violation notices were improperly issued, the municipalities in question didn't have authority to use the cameras in the first place and that the red-light cameras themselves violate the Missouri Constitution.
Kansas City Municipal Court spokeswoman Benita Jones says that the terms of the settlement put the burden entirely on ATS, and the city shouldn't have to shoulder any financial loss.
"Basically, the class action lawsuit does not involve the city of Kansas City or the municipal court," Jones said. "ATS will be making the payment of the settlement, which is a certain percentage of the fines that people paid on their red-light camera tickets."
The city's red-light camera program was suspended in November 2013, after legal challenges to the constitutionality of the cameras were made.
Red-light cameras are still considered constitutional in Missouri for now, but the state's Supreme Court is expected to rule on several cases involving traffic cameras sometime in the coming months.
Missouri House Rep. Paul Curtman also introduced legislation in December that would task voters with deciding the constitutionality of traffic cameras.
People who received red-light camera tickets in Kansas City should get a card in the mail with instructions on how to claim their refund. More information can be found at the lawsuit's website.
