Torts Keyed to Epstein
Indiana Harbor Belt R.R. v. American Cyanamid Co
ProfessorMelissa A. Hale
CaseCast™ – "What you need to know"
Facts
Defendant loaded 20,000 gallons of liquid acrylonitrile, a toxic substance, into a railroad car in order to ship it to New Jersey. The car was sitting in Plaintiff’s rail yard when a leak was discovered. The leak was eventually brought under control, but 5,000 gallons of the toxic substance was spilled, and it caused the evacuation of the surrounding area. The clean-up bill was $981,022.75. Plaintiff sued Defendant to recover this cost. Plaintiff claimed that Defendant was negligent, that the transportation of toxic chemicals was an abnormally dangerous activity, and Defendant should be strictly liable. The jury returned a verdict for Plaintiff. Defendant appealed.
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Topic Resources
4m 52s