As reported by Courthouse News, Lieff Cabraser Nashville Managing Partner Mark P. Chalos recently argued before the en banc Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in litigation arising from the Jackson, Mississippi water crisis, where residents allege government officials knowingly exposed the community to lead-contaminated water while misleading the public about its safety.
According to the allegations in the case, officials were aware for nearly a decade that lead levels in Jackson’s water system were increasing due to aging infrastructure and mismanagement. Rather than warning residents or adequately addressing the deteriorating system, officials allegedly downplayed the risks, delayed public notice, and continued assuring residents the water was safe despite mounting evidence showing otherwise.
“This is a case about government officials who, as we’ve alleged, through a lengthy series of bad conduct, poisoned their own residents’ water with lead,” Chalos told the court. “They piped that water to their residents’ homes, and then they lied about the safety of the water, repeatedly and falsely stating that it was safe to drink.”
Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel filed the first federal class action lawsuit on behalf of Jackson residents in 2022 following the collapse of the city’s water system, which left more than 153,000 residents without reliable access to safe running water.
The appeal now centers on whether residents may pursue constitutional claims against government officials.
Read the full article here: https://www.courthousenews.com/residents-tell-fifth-circuit-jackson-officials-poisoned-water-and-lied/
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