LATROBE, PA – A Westmoreland County family has filed a lawsuit claiming negligence led to the death of a 64-year-old grandmother who fell into a sinkhole while searching for a missing cat outside a local restaurant. The complaint alleges the collapse opened into an abandoned underground mine and that both the property operator and mine owner failed to address known risks.
Elizabeth Pollard died after falling roughly 20 feet through the ground on the night of Dec. 2 outside Monday’s Union Restaurant in Latrobe, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. According to the lawsuit, Pollard had been searching for a lost cat with her granddaughter when the ground beneath her gave way. Her body was recovered four days later, about 12 feet from the point where the زمین collapsed.
The lawsuit, filed by Pollard’s family, names Monday’s Union Restaurant and U.S. Steel as defendants. It claims both parties were aware, or should have been aware, of the dangers posed by the abandoned mine beneath the property.
Claims of known hazards tied to abandoned mine
“Defendants knew or should have known of the dangerous condition, including the existence, nature, and unreasonable risk posed by the mine subsidence opening and the area overlying abandoned underground mine workings,” the lawsuit states. “The area where [Pollard] fell was a highly susceptible area of collapse due to the years of prior mining.”
Attorneys for the family argue that the defendants were responsible for maintaining safe conditions on the property, including the parking areas and walkways where Pollard was searching. The complaint states the entities “were responsible for providing safe parking lots, safe paths, and a safe means of travel throughout” the premises.
Mark Malone, an attorney representing the Pollard family, said the case is about more than damages. “The Pollard family is looking for answers and accountability,” Malone told WTAE. “They don’t want their wife, their mom, their grandmother’s name, in death to mean nothing.”
Ownership and response from defendants
According to Malone, U.S. Steel operated the mine until 1953 and may still hold mineral rights beneath the property. He said that long-standing ownership could carry responsibility for subsurface conditions tied to the collapse.
When contacted for comment, U.S. Steel said it is reviewing the lawsuit. Monday’s Union Restaurant did not provide a response.
Pollard’s obituary describes her as a wife, mother, and grandmother who “enjoyed flower gardening, crafts and her cats.” She is survived by her husband, three sons, granddaughter, five brothers, and extended family.
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