Community Corner

First Responders in Paulsboro Chemical Spill Sue for Injuries

Twenty-four people, including 11 family members of first responders, are listed as plaintiffs in a lawsuit that alleges wrongdoing by Conrail, Norfolk Southern and CSX.

Months after into the air, forcing residents to shelter in their homes and displacing several others, first responders to the scene are suing the railway and transportation companies for their exposure to toxic chemicals.

"The truth has not yet come out about what happened why it happened and why it happened," said Mark Cuker, an attorney who filed the brief on behalf of 24 people, including 11 family members of the emergency personnel on the scene.

Cuker said he has also filed a separate case on behalf of residents of Paulsboro and nearby communities affected by the spill. He said "hundreds of people" are represented by the suits, "between a quarter and half" of whom are experiencing active symptoms related to VCM toxicity.

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Cuker's suit names Conrail, Norfolk Southern and CSX as defendants, and alleges that the companies not only failed to address known issues with the bridge that collapsed, causing the derailment, but also failed to properly monitor the level of emergency workers' exposure to VCM and didn't have proper procedures in place to deal with such an incident.

"It was up to the railroad to have an emergency response plan in place to transport the chemicals through town," Cuker said. "They certainly didn’t show any sign of it."

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Cuker said that a lot of his clients do not have health insurance and have had difficulty developing a course of treatment for what he describes as "persistent symptoms" related to vinyl chloride exposure.

"They go to the emergency room and there’s not much they can do for you there," he said.

The litany of symptoms the document alleges first responders are experiencing ranges from irritation and burning of the skin and airways to headaches, dizziness, nausea and insomnia. 

Paulsboro DPW worker William Virden has even been diagnosed with "reactive airway dysfunction syndrome," the suit says, which is an asthma diagnosed in people who have never before had the disease.

“These police officers and first responders were really thrown into the breach after the derailment," Cuker said. "They were not given any protective equipment. They are at risk for disease in the future because [vinyl chloride] is a known carcinogen.

"In this day and age there are supposed to be emergency response plans in place that can be implemented to protect people," he said.

Cuker's complaint further alleges that “the bridge in question had a significant history of failure” and 23 “trouble tickets” reporting its malfunctions were noted, including nine in the month prior to its collapse.

Among those first responders named as plaintiffs in the suit are:

  • Paulsboro Ptl. Michael Bielski
  • Paulsboro Ptl. Leonardo Vasta III
  • Paulsboro Ptl. Rodney Richards
  • Paulsboro Det. Michael Minniti
  • Paulsboro Ptl. Mike Jamerson
  • Paulsboro Sgt. Donald Grey
  • Paulsboro Ptl. Thomas Giorgianni
  • Paulsboro SLEO II James Gentile
  • Paulsboro Sgt. Jason Bish
  • Paulsboro Ptl. David Belbin
  • Paulsboro Det. Sgt. Gary Kille
  • Greenwich Twp. Ptl. William Dick

A PDF copy of the complaint is posted above.


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