Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Woman Falls into Sinkhole
The family of a woman from Pennsylvania has filed a wrongful death lawsuit following her tragic death after falling into a sinkhole above an abandoned mine back in 2024. They argue that both the property owner and U.S. Steel failed to adequately address safety risks associated with the mine.
Elizabeth Pollard, who was 64, went missing in December 2024 while trying to find her cat, Pepper. She was with her five-year-old granddaughter at the time. Pollard had parked her car near Union Restaurant, and hours later, authorities discovered the vehicle but couldn’t find her. Reports indicate that her granddaughter was inside the car, scared but unharmed.
Mark Malone, the attorney representing the Pollard family, emphasized their need for answers. “They don’t want the names of their wives, mothers, grandmothers to fade into meaninglessness in death,” he stated.
After four days of intensive search efforts, crews located Pollard’s body about 30 feet underground. The cause of death was identified as blunt force trauma, leading to accusations against U.S. Steel and the restaurant for neglecting to maintain a safe environment.
John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, alongside Malone, released a joint statement saying, “Elizabeth Pollard should still be alive, and the failures of the defendants contributed to her preventable death. This lawsuit aims to hold them accountable for their alleged negligence, which has devastated a family.”
The lawsuit claims that both U.S. Steel, as the owner of the mine, and the restaurant, which owns the surface land, were responsible for ensuring the area’s safety. It highlights that the ground had a history of collapse due to years of mining, yet no measures were taken to assess or mitigate these known risks.
Malone mentioned, “The restaurant is included because they own the property. They are a necessary party in this context.” He added that fundamental to the lawsuit is understanding what the restaurant knew about the property since acquiring and operating it.
This sinkhole is said to have led to Margaret Mine, which was initially developed and later abandoned by HC Frick and Cork midway through the last century.
