Walter Griffin: Wife of Alabama trainee conductor decapitated in 'freak accident' sues 'negligent' Norfolk Southern
BESSEMER, ALABAMA: An Alabama widow whose husband was decapitated in a terrifying accident last year while training to be a Norfolk Southern conductor has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the controversial rail company. Victim Walter James Griffin III, 43, was killed after he was in a cab with another conductor when their train passed by a parked freight car with a protruding beam that crashed through the window and struck Griffin in the head. He was pronounced dead on the spot in the early morning hours of December 13, in Bessemer, Alabama.
However, investigators overlooking his death deemed the casualty as a “freak accident.” Although Griffin's widow, Sherita Fields alleged the embattled rail company is at fault for not properly inspecting the train and freight car, which caused the accident, and has filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, US Pipe Fabrication, and others for wrongful death in Jefferson County Circuit Court in January.
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“I see how it was described as a freak accident, but I do not think that is a proper characterization of it,” Griffin family attorney David Brown. “This is something that is preventable, this is not just a random type of situation. This is something where there was clear fault by the individuals involved,” he told WRBC. “[The metal beam] shouldn’t protrude in the first place,” he continued.
“The law requires entities to do inspections of their loads before they actually leave the property. We see a very straightforward situation where the folks at Norfolk Southern and the folks at US Pipe, where the train car departed from earlier, should have done their jobs and inspected it.” The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating the incident, according to the outlet. “I really want them to take it seriously. It’s happening over and over again. I’d hate for someone else to lose their loved one,” Fields, 44, told the Daily Mail. She is seeking unspecified damages.
Norfolk southern's toxic train cars
The new lawsuit comes after Norfolk Southern litigation following an environmental disaster that ensued after a train derailment carrying toxic and explosive, vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio last month, February 3. The fiery incident prompted an immediate mass evacuation of citizens on the East Palestine border after gallons of unstable chemicals were released into the air. A total of 1.1 million gallons of water and 15,000 pounds of soil were contaminated, according to New York Post.
Lawsuit against Norfolk Southern
A lawsuit was filed against Norfolk Southern by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Monday, claiming the derailment was “entirely avoidable” and added the company's negligence allowed defective trains and train operations to contaminate the state’s natural resources and threaten human and environmental health. He alleged the environmental disaster was a result of the company valuing profits over the health and safety of people.
“The citizens of the region have been displaced, their lives interrupted and their businesses shuttered,” the court papers charge. “Ohio shouldn’t have to bear the tremendous financial burden of Norfolk Southern’s glaring negligence,” Yost said in a statement. “The fallout from this highly preventable incident may continue for years to come, and there’s still so much we don’t know about the long-term effects on our air, water and soil.” Yost claimed over the past decade, Norfolk Southern has seen a nearly 80% increase in its accident rate and 20 derailments since 2015 resulting in the discharge of chemical toxins. The suit seeks unspecified damages for lost taxes, economic losses, and civil penalties, according to the source.
'I am determined to make this right!'
Furthermore, during a US Senate Committee for the derailment, last week, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was heavily grilled. Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown accused the rail company of following “the Wall Street business model: Boost profits by cutting costs at all costs. The consequences for places like East Palestine be damned." Shaw apologized for the aftermath and pledged $21 million in assistance for East Palestine and $7.5 million for communities across the Ohio border in Pennsylvania. “I am determined to make this right. Norfolk Southern will clean the site safely, thoroughly, and with urgency. You have my personal commitment. Norfolk Southern will get the job done and help East Palestine thrive,” he said. However, following his speech, another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama, but no leaks were reported.