Lawsuit alleges first deaths from disastrous 2023 train derailment in Ohio
A new lawsuit alleges for the first time that people died because of the disastrous 2023 East Palestine train derailment
A lawsuit alleging for the first time that people died because of the disastrous 2023 East Palestine train derailment has been filed ahead of Monday's second anniversary of the toxic crash near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border amid a flurry of new litigation.
On Monday, Vice President JD Vance is also expected to visit the small community near the crash site that he used to represent as a senator, along with President Donald Trump's newly confirmed head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin.
The new lawsuit that will be made public later on Monday contains the first seven wrongful death claims filed against Norfolk Southern railroad — including the death of a 1-week-old baby. It also alleges the railroad and its contractors botched the cleanup while officials at the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on it and failed to warn residents about the health risks. Many of the other parties in the lawsuit cite lingering, unexplained health problems along with concerns something more serious could develop.
“Our clients want truth. They want transparency," attorney Kristina Baehr said about the roughly 750 people she represents. “They want to know what they were exposed to, which has been hidden from them. They want to know what happened and why it happened. And they want accountability.”
The lawsuit provides some examples of the lingering effects on families, but it doesn't include details about the deaths.
At least nine other lawsuits were filed over the past week by individuals and businesses that argue the railroad's greed is to blame for the derailment and the $600
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