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Seeger Weiss is proud to announce founder Chris Seeger has been appointed to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee (PEC) in In re: East Palestine Train Derailment Litigation by the honorable Judge Benita Y. Pearson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train transporting hazardous chemicals crashed in East Palestine, Ohio. In total, 38 rail cars, including 11 hazardous container cars transporting 100,000 gallons of vinyl chloride and other dangerous chemicals derailed. Subsequently, Norfolk Southern conducted a “controlled explosion” of damaged rail cars that sent plumes of black smoke into the air, contaminating people’s homes and properties and exposing residents to untold amounts of harmful chemicals.
Plaintiffs in this multidistrict litigation are seeking redress for injuries and property damage on behalf of residents, property owners, and businesses located in and around East Palestine, Ohio who were harmed by the derailment. Additionally, plaintiffs are seeking medical monitoring with costs covered by Norfolk Southern for future health issues that may result from exposure to hazardous and toxic substances.
“This tragic train derailment was an entirely preventable disaster caused by Norfolk Southern’s corporate greed,” said Seeger. I am honored to have been selected to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee by Judge Pearson and look forward to working with my fellow members of the leadership team to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for harm caused by the company’s contamination of East Palestine and the surrounding area with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals.”
One of the nation’s preeminent plaintiffs’ law firms, Seeger Weiss is best known for multidistrict mass torts and class actions in both state and federal court. From offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the firm has represented over 10,000 individuals, companies, and governments across the U.S. who have been injured or defrauded on a massive scale. Since its founding in 1999, Seeger has led many of the most complex and high-profile cases in the country: the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, which the Washington Post called “the largest federal court case in U.S. history”; 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, which the Minneapolis Star Tribune called “one of the largest mass torts ever”; the “Dieselgate” scandal; and the history-making National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation.