Norfolk Southern Train Spill
"The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that spilled toxic chemicals and led to a controlled burn of the [spilled] substances in East Palestine, Ohio, has become one of the highest-profile — and most politicized — incidents of its kind in the United States in recent years", according to a recent article in the New York Times.
Amidst ongoing investigation and public outcry of the almost 5,000 residents of the small Ohio town, we may not yet have all the facts but if there's one thing we do know it's that someone should likely be held accountable. Whether taking aim at the spill itself and/or the ongoing remediation efforts, events of this magnitude do not usually occur without some degree of preventable human error.
Ratzan Weissman & Boldt has a strong track record of representing victims of transportation negligence and as such, Founding Partner Stuart Ratzan was recently interviewed by both Bloomberg Law and Law360 on the matter. Ratzan is quoted throughout both articles speaking to why this incident raises human and community safety issues:
"We have a court system, and the basic question is whether Norfolk Southern exercised reasonable care in how it mechanized or outfitted its trains, what kinds of systems it built its trains with, and what kind of warning or alert systems it employed. Transporting hazardous materials [triggers] the highest duty to be safe, and if it didn't do that, it would be accountable to the community. That by itself can be a powerful sword and shield to protect us from this happening again".
Transportation Negligence Attorneys
If you or someone you know was injured or killed due to transportation negligence, contact our firm immediately to discuss your situation at no charge. We are here to help and protect those living in our communities by holding those accountable for their wrongdoings.