Demo Post

RICHMOND, Indiana (WKEF) — A federal jury has found the City of Richmond and two other defendants liable in a class-action lawsuit involving the April 2023 plastics fire.

The jury found the City of Richmond, Seth Smith, and Cornerstone Trading Group liable for negligence and nuisance, according to attorneys with Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz. The jury assigned forty percent of the negligence responsibility to the city and thirty percent each to Smith and Cornerstone.

As previously covered, the April 11, 2023, fire at a Richmond industrial site sent a large plume of smoke over the city and led officials to evacuate residents within a half-mile of the property. More than 2,000 people were displaced during the five-day evacuation.

The lawsuit covers residents who lived within the evacuation zone between April 11 and April 16.

Plaintiffs are seeking compensation for expenses, lost wages, and other damages related to the evacuation.

The case also examined the history of the properties involved. Court records cited by the plaintiffs show Richmond’s Unsafe Building Commission had raised concerns about the properties before the fire, including issuing orders in 2019 to repair, demolish, or vacate them.

The verdict was reached in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in Indianapolis. The case will now move forward to proceedings addressing compensation and damages for eligible class members.

John Smalley, an attorney representing the class, said, “This verdict is about accountability for the more than 2,000 people whose lives were disrupted by this fire. These families were forced from their homes through no choice of their own. They deserved to have their voices heard, and the jury heard them.”