Lawsuit seeks water bill refunds for Flint residents
A federal lawsuit is seeking a refund of all water bills paid by Flint residents and businesses during the time the city water supply came from the Flint River, causing lead in pipes to leach into tap water.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court seeks more than $150 million in refunds and compensation for damages for "water that was extraordinarily dangerous, undrinkable and unusable," according to a press advisory sent out today by the Baltimore law firm of Murphy, Falcon & Murphy. A press conference is scheduled this afternoon in Flint to explain the lawsuit, which seeks class action status.
The Baltimore law firm, which successfully represented the family of Freddie Gray who died in police custody there, is working with Flint attorney Valdemar L. Washington on the lawsuit.
Among the defendants in the lawsuit are the city of Flint, the state of Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, two former state appointed emergency managers and former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling. The suit was filed on behalf of Beatrice Boler, a Flint mother of two; Flint pastor Edwin Anderson with his wife, Alline Anderson; and a company, Epco Sales LLC.
The lawsuit alleges officials acted with “gross negligence” when they allowed lead and other contaminants to enter Flint’s water system beginning in April 2014 when the water supply was switched from the Detroit system to the Flint River. The lawsuit also says residents’ rights were violated when officials ignored residents’ complaints about the water’s smell, color and taste.
According to the lawsuit, the Flint River water was "untreated and highly corrosive and caused lead to leach from the the city's water delivery system."
"The defendants also became aware over time that the water delivered to consumers was unfit for human use and consumption because it was contaminated with rust, total coliform and E. coliform and, eventually, excessive amounts of Trihalomethanes (an industrial chemical)," the lawsuit alleges.
