US Steel sues for wrongful death over Pennsylvania woman’s sinkhole collapse
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A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a Pennsylvania woman who died in 2024 after falling into a shaft at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft alleges that the property owner and US Steel failed to take adequate steps to mitigate the risks posed by the mine.
Elizabeth Pollard, 64, was searching for her cat, Pepper, and five-year-old grandson in Westmoreland County in December 2024 when she went missing. Pollard parked his car near the Union Restaurant on Monday, where authorities found the car hours later, according to WTAE-TV.
“The Pollard family wants answers and accountability,” said the family’s attorney, Mark Malone. “They don’t want their wife, their mother, and their grandmother’s name to have no meaning in death.”
Pollard’s grandson was found inside the car shocked but unharmed.
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An explosion occurred at the US Steel Clairton Coke Works plant in Clairton, Pa., on August 11, 2025, resulting in at least one death and multiple injuries, officials said. The family of a Pennsylvania woman is suing a steel manufacturer in a wrongful-death lawsuit after she died from falling into a sinkhole atop an abandoned mine. (Rebecca Droke/AFP)
The car was parked just a few feet from the place of death. Following a four-day, round-the-clock effort, crews found Pollard dead 30 feet underground. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
“Elizabeth Pollard should still be alive. The defendants’ alleged failure to provide and maintain a safe environment led to her untimely death,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and Malone in a joint statement. “This case aims to hold these agencies accountable for their alleged negligence, which robbed the family of a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. The Pollards deserve justice, and we will fight to ensure that no other family is forced to endure such a painful loss.”
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The US Steel logo is seen on a steel roll before the president speaks during a meeting at US Steel’s Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pa., on May 30, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
The lawsuit alleges that US Steel, the owner of the mine, and the restaurant, which owns the surface area, are responsible for the maintenance and safety of the area. The lawsuit also alleges that the land could have collapsed after years of mining and that no steps were taken to address known hazards.
“The restaurant is included because they own the place. They are a necessary party at this time,” Malone said. “Their knowledge of the property since they bought it and used it is the key to the case.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to US Steel, the restaurant, and attorneys for the plaintiffs for comment.
The sinkhole led to the Marguerite Mine, which was developed and later abandoned by the HC Frick Coke Co. in the middle of the last century, as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
