On October 2, 2024, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, Grant & Eisenhofer, Jenner Law, and Georgia counsel Holzer & Holzer filed a federal class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta against Bio-Lab Inc. and Kik Custom Products, Inc. over the September 29, 2024 chemical fire and toxic plume release in Conyers, Georgia, on behalf of certain named individual local residents and business owners as well as a class of all others similarly affected by the Bio-Lab environmental disaster.

“Like the East Palestine train derailment, this incident caused a massive toxic release into the community that should have never occurred,” said Lieff Cabraser partner Mark P. Chalos, who represents the plaintiffs in the action and who has represented plaintiffs in toxic exposure cases for many years. “Bio-Lab and Kik failed in their responsibilities to the community both before, during, and after the fire and toxic release. We look forward to getting the justice for our Conyers clients in federal court.” (Lieff Cabraser served on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the Norfolk Southern lawsuit and co-chaired the Law and Briefing Committee in that case).

Earlier in the case

On behalf of local businesses and residents, Lieff Cabraser investigated reports of the explosion and chemical plume released in Conyers, Georgia on September 29, 2024 at the BioLab plant. Plant officials indicated that a faulty sprinkler head caused water to mix with reactive chemicals, causing the fire and chemical plume.

While local businesses and residents were assured the incident was under control, they were nevertheless ordered to evacuate or shelter in place with doors and windows closed, purportedly often with adverse results. The Conyers sheriff’s office was unable to confirm the number of people evacuated.

Local and federal authorities are still investigating the site to determine precisely what toxics were present and released in the accident.

The national plaintiffs’-side law firm of Lieff Cabraser possesses the expertise and financial resources to thoroughly investigate environmental cases and hold the defendants accountable. For over 50 years, we have successfully prosecuted cases against many of the world’s most powerful corporations, obtaining compensation for families and property owners harmed by toxic environmental exposures. We represented victims of the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the 2015 Plains oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, the Huntington Beach oil spill in 2021, and the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment. We are currently advancing cases aimed at fixing chronic hazardous water supply problems in Benton Harbor, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi, and assisting the California Attorney General in climate change litigation on behalf of all Californians.