Lawsuit Blames Deaths on 2023 Train Derailment in Ohio

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EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — A lawsuit alleging for the first time that people died because of the disastrous 2023 East Palestine train derailment has been filed ahead of the second anniversary on Feb. 3 of the toxic crash near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border amid a flurry of new litigation.

Vice President J.D. Vance is visiting 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. It’s not yet clear how much pressure the Trump administration will put on the railroads to continue improving safety and whether they will push for the bill Vance co-authored in response to the derailment.

The new lawsuit announced Feb. 3 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 adequately 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.

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