Eight people who say they were sickened by a chemical release over North Toledo have sued the trucking company involved, accusing it of unsafe transfer procedures that let a probable carcinogen pour into the air for nearly 48 hours. The lawsuit was filed against M.C. Tank Transport and its parent company, The Kenan Advantage Group, following the October 20 release, the law firms Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy and Groth & Associates announced in a release carried by PR Newswire (case CI2026-04646).
In the complaint, attorneys Jordan Lebovitz, Jeff Heller and Molly Ebraheim allege the defendants failed to follow proper safety procedures while transferring glycidyl methacrylate, known as GMA, and that heat applied during the transfer set off a chemical reaction that released the chemical into the air, the firms said in the PR Newswire release. The complaint also alleges Kenan failed to provide adequate safety oversight, training and procedures despite a history of federal safety citations.
GMA is a highly flammable industrial monomer used in plastics, paints, coatings and adhesives, and the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency classifies it as a probable human carcinogen, the firms said in the PR Newswire release.
People exposed to the release, especially those close to the leak, have reported intense skin and eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, headaches and sore throats, the firms said in the PR Newswire release. “For nearly two days, a chemical poured into the air over North Toledo,” attorney Molly Ebraheim said in the PR Newswire release. “Families at home, workers on the job, and travelers just passing through all breathed it in, and now they are forced to live with the fear of what this chemical may do to their health years from now.”
The allegations in the complaint have not been tested in court, and the release does not include a response from M.C. Tank Transport or The Kenan Advantage Group. The lawsuit seeks to hold both companies accountable for harm to North Toledo residents, workers and travelers, the firms said.
What happens next: the case proceeds in Lucas County court, where the companies will have the opportunity to answer the complaint. The firms said in the PR Newswire release that anyone who believes they were affected by the October 20 release can contact them for a free, confidential consultation.
Photo: MrJacon000, CC BY-SA