News
David Chizewer, partner in the firm's Litigation Group, filed a a lawsuit recently against five lead companies associated with severely contaminating soil and homes in the USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago. The lead companies, and their successors, have produced, manufactured or generated hazardous, airborne contaminants in the city's Calumet sections for decades.
Goldberg Kohn is representing the 38 affected households in the suit for free. "We have filed this case on a pro bono basis to obtain justice for people who have actually come to us and asked for their help." Chizewer said, "We are not filing a class action on behalf of hypothetical claimants with whom we have had no interaction. The class action device is an important, powerful tool in certain types of cases, but we do not believe that it is called for in this matter."
The suit seeks compensatory, punitive and other damages for residents' emotional distress, diminished property values, remediation costs not covered under EPA's cleanup and more.