It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in East Palestine, OH is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“I Work for always best care and I love it the clients are great the”
“I have been with ALWAYS BEST CARE for about 10 years. The staff has always”
“I work there and the company tries as hard they can can't blame the company”
“This company has a very kind team working very hard to make a difference in”
“Always Best Care has been taking care of my mom for almost two years now”
“I Work for always best care and I love it the clients are great the people in the office are wonderful and they work with you .. They give people a chance to better there lifes and make a living by help others and I just love everyone in this company. I will retire from here ????”
“I have been with ALWAYS BEST CARE for about 10 years. The staff has always worked to make sure the Caregiver and I are a good match. One morning my Caregiver was unable to come. The owner of the company came to be my Caregiver that morning!! I have never had that happen with any other company. I ❤ ALWAYS BEST CARE!!! I recommend this company to everyone who needs a Caregiver!!!”
“I work there and the company tries as hard they can can't blame the company when the ppl call off I love this company and very proud to be here.......”
“This company has a very kind team working very hard to make a difference in people's lives. Clients and staff. Owner has worked hard and professionally to give everyone the respect and chance they deserve!”
“Always Best Care has been taking care of my mom for almost two years now and we really appreciate their dedication and compassionate care. Thank you for everything.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
Request More Information
While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in East Palestine, OH, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in East Palestine, OH understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in East Palestine, OH 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
(NewsNation) — Class-action lawsuits are supposed to provide compensation and justice to victims of corporate negligence or malfeasance. But critics say the settlements are notorious for shortchanging plaintiffs and lining the pockets of the attorneys hired to advocate for them.Did something similar happen with the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment? A whistleblower is now coming forward with claims that the firms representing victims in a $600 million settlement against Norfolk Southern essentially sold out their clients....
(NewsNation) — Class-action lawsuits are supposed to provide compensation and justice to victims of corporate negligence or malfeasance. But critics say the settlements are notorious for shortchanging plaintiffs and lining the pockets of the attorneys hired to advocate for them.
Did something similar happen with the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment? A whistleblower is now coming forward with claims that the firms representing victims in a $600 million settlement against Norfolk Southern essentially sold out their clients.
Among the hundreds gathered inside a recent East Palestine town hall, one woman was publicly considering blowing the whistle on the $600 million settlement reached after a train derailment and chemical burn.
“I have tried. I have called our governor, I tried all our representatives, nobody cares anymore,” Beth Kosar said.
She is coming forward with information she believes residents of the town need to know.
“The people who signed up for this lawsuit signed up not knowing all the facts. There was a lot of information that was hid from people,” Kosar said. “The people that passed during the first two years, all the people that are getting cancer, it’s like, ‘Oh, no, that had nothing to do with that toxic mess.’”
Sister of legendary quarterback Bernie Kosar and daughter of the late Bernie Kosar, Sr., who was the mayor of Canton, Ohio, Beth Kosar worked for Perfected Claims.
That company said it was working with law firms to provide support for the East Palestine train derailment class-action lawsuit.
“We let a lot of people down,” Kosar said.
Kosar is going public now after seeing Austin Druckenbrod’s story.
Druckenbrod is an otherwise healthy 27-year-old with swelling on his brain.
The Cleveland Clinic diagnosed him with reactive airway disease, which they linked to exposure to the chemicals in East Palestine.
Druckenbrod said his attorneys told him the deal was simple: He would accept the settlement terms of the class action lawsuit but keep his mouth shut.
“Oh, we’re going to take care of you, we’re going to make sure you get like $3 million to $6.8 million,’ and then they told me to not tell anybody,” Druckenbrod said.
Druckenbrod’s former attorney, Mikal Watts, denied the characterization.
“I did not communicate with him to stay quiet. If he believed that he had a personal injury claim worth pursuing, we certainly advocated for those clients to simply opt out and continue to pursue the personal injury litigation,” Watts said.
In an additional statement provided to NewsNation, the attorney said: “No one from my firm authorized clients to be addressed in that way; in fact, I said directly the opposite while warning clients of the difficulties presented by applicable Sixth Circuit law in the Hirsch v. CSX Transportation decision. Indeed, in Powerpoints of client presentations I have on June 11, 2024, I specifically explained how to opt out of the settlement, with specific instructions as to how to do so by the Court’s July 1, 2024 deadline.”
But Kosar says Druckenbrod is 100% accurate.
“Everybody was pushing to sign the personal injuries … We were told, ‘If you don’t want to sign, if you want to opt out, go ahead, but we are not going to represent you because we don’t want to upset the judge,’” Kosar said. “I thought some of those attorneys were my friends, and it turns out, I feel like it was a money grab.”
Kosar, along with more than 200 East Palestine residents, filed a motion for relief with the federal judge.
The motion is based on “substantial evidence of fraud and misrepresentation by class counsel, who concealed critical expert findings about health risks while inducing class members to sign personal injury releases in exchange for inadequate personal injury payments.”
“She knows about the people who are sick. She thought that what she was doing there was for the good of the community,” attorney Mindy Bish said of Kosar. “And she’s had to take the long look and come to understand that she was betrayed. And so, what we’re hoping is that the court will also take a similar long look and realize that just as Beth was betrayed by lawyers who looked at $600 million, that the court was equally betrayed.”
Kosar says the cover-up has been worse than the derailment itself.
“I’m more mad at the government, and people that were supposed to protect us, and the attorneys,” she said.
Sheen Assessment Early in the response, under the oversight of EPA and its partners, Norfolk Southern started surface water quality monitoring downstream of the derailment site. Sediment washing and air sparging have been used to restore water quality in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. Air sparging involves spraying water to add air so that oxygen and microbes can break down chemicals. Air sparging is often used in some emergency responses like this derailment to remove chemicals from water.Stream cleaning has successfully removed c...
Early in the response, under the oversight of EPA and its partners, Norfolk Southern started surface water quality monitoring downstream of the derailment site. Sediment washing and air sparging have been used to restore water quality in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. Air sparging involves spraying water to add air so that oxygen and microbes can break down chemicals. Air sparging is often used in some emergency responses like this derailment to remove chemicals from water.
Stream cleaning has successfully removed chemicals and surface water results have been below levels considered to be hazardous to human health. While surface water is no longer badly impacted, heavily disturbing the creek beds (sediment) can sometimes cause shiny iridescent patches, called sheen, to rise to the water’s surface.
On October 18, 2023, EPA issued an order under the Clean Water Act requiring Norfolk Southern to investigate and cleanup the oily sheens and sediments in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. The qualitative assessment of the stream is complete, and the results are posted below. The first assessment showed that oil-related substances are common in sheens and sheen appears when sediments are disturbed in more than half of the streams.
Crews collected samples of sheens and nearby sediments to check their chemical makeup. Areas with medium and heavy sheens guided planning for exactly how and where additional stream cleanup and monitoring is done.
EPA continues to recommend avoiding Sulphur and Leslie Runs during assessment and cleanup work, and to follow posted warning signage along the creeks. EPA will coordinate with Ohio Department of Health and other partners on reviewing and updating this recommendation.
Crews walked both Leslie and Sulphur Runs and disturbed the creek bed every 25 feet to look for visible sheen. They assessed the creek at approximately 740 locations downstream of the derailment. These locations are highlighted in brown in the dashboard map below.
Crews also assessed the streams at approximately 90 background locations, which are upstream from the derailment site. Background locations are without derailment impacts. By checking these background areas, investigators can compare the streams where oil was and wasn’t released. Background locations are highlighted in green in the dashboard map below.
If crews observed sheen, they assigned a score on a 0-to-3 scale depending on the amount of visible sheen. Zero means there was no sheen and three means there was a lot of sheen. Initially in Leslie Run, 59% of locations had some sheen, compared to 66% of locations in Sulphur Run. In background locations, 92% of areas had no sheen. In the dashboard below, you can select different stream areas to see the breakdown of sheen results. After the fourth reassessment, Leslie Run had 3.5% of locations with some sheen, Sulphur Run had 27%, and background locations had 98.8% of areas with no sheen.
Efforts to clean up the sediment took place in November 2023, March and April 2024, and July 2025. Some sheens are caused by naturally occurring bacteria. Cleanup crews graded chemical sheen, (which looks different), based on how fast it rises to the surface when sediments are disturbed, its size, and its smell. Below are photos of water with different sheen scores.
Crews found sheen in some background locations. This is likely from human activities such as littering or contamination from stormwater runoff. The early stream washing and cleaning along with the sediment clean ups removed sheen from the derailment.
Useful Information
If some data are not shown when a segment is selected, then data were not able to be collected at that location for that time period. The number of observations in an area may change slightly over time because of the dynamic nature of the creek channel or problems with access to that area.
When a segment is selected, if no data appears in one or more pie charts then data was not able to be collected at that location for that time period.
More than 100 people who live in and around East Palestine, Ohio, say they were tricked into joining a $600 million Norfolk Southern settlement after the derailment disaster in 2023.Attorneys filed a motion for relief in federal court. It says these people opted in for the personal injury, and they did so based on false information. Those people claim lawyers misled them."This should not be going on," Tom Young, of Darlington, Pennsylvania, said. "We've all been scammed by these lawyers."The Beaver Co...
More than 100 people who live in and around East Palestine, Ohio, say they were tricked into joining a $600 million Norfolk Southern settlement after the derailment disaster in 2023.
Attorneys filed a motion for relief in federal court. It says these people opted in for the personal injury, and they did so based on false information. Those people claim lawyers misled them.
"This should not be going on," Tom Young, of Darlington, Pennsylvania, said. "We've all been scammed by these lawyers."
The Beaver County resident lives about 3 miles from the train derailment site. He joined the massive class-action settlement with the promise that things would be made whole.
"I have 22 acres of property, and they are like, 'Well, you will be taken care of, you won't have any worries after this.' Then you find out you might get a check for $15,000."
Young has a wife and two adult children. He said they have all experienced health effects that they blame on the derailment.
"I still have bloody noses all the time," Young said. "My wife has had problems with her eyes, basically losing sight in one eye. Then moved it to the other eye."
The new motion claims that experts hired by class counsel concealed the water and soil test results conducted by their experts, which have yet to be disclosed.
The motion also claims these experts misled people into believing there would be no long-term health impacts from the derailment, despite counsel already being aware of people with documented permanent injuries.
The motion goes on to claim their priority was securing a settlement instead of a proper judgment. It now seeks to release people from the settlement and personal injury opt-ins and force the release of all reports.
"At the end of the day, they were betrayed by the very attorneys who came in and said they would help them," Young's lawyer, Mindy Bish, said.
Attorneys Melinda Young and Bish have taken Tom Young's case. Bish said the truth will come out.
"People are dying, and it's not done yet," she said.
KDKA reached out to the lawyers who represented the victims in that class action and did not hear back on Monday night.
KDKA also reached out to Norfolk Southern to ask about whether toxins are still present. A spokesperson referred KDKA to the cleanup progress page on its website. According to the most recent update last Thursday, site restoration activities have been completed.
Jennifer Borrasso
Jennifer Borrasso joined the KDKA News team as a reporter in August 2019. Jennifer has over 20 years of broadcast experience. Her news philosophy is simple: tell good stories.
(NewsNation) — Some East Palestine residents who joined a $600 million class-action settlement against Norfolk Southern are seeking to withdraw from the agreement, claiming attorneys deceived them about their health prospects and potential compensation.Austin Druckenbrod, 27, who worked a mile from the derailment site when officials conducted a burn of toxic chemicals in February 2023, said he was promised millions in compensation but now wants to file an individual lawsuit.The Cleveland Clinic diagnosed Druckenbrod with ...
(NewsNation) — Some East Palestine residents who joined a $600 million class-action settlement against Norfolk Southern are seeking to withdraw from the agreement, claiming attorneys deceived them about their health prospects and potential compensation.
Austin Druckenbrod, 27, who worked a mile from the derailment site when officials conducted a burn of toxic chemicals in February 2023, said he was promised millions in compensation but now wants to file an individual lawsuit.
The Cleveland Clinic diagnosed Druckenbrod with reactive airway disease linked to chemical exposure from the train derailment. Brain scans show extreme swelling compared to normal scans, and he has experienced breathing dysfunction, coughing up blood and other severe symptoms.
“It’s ruined my life in every way that I could possibly imagine,” Druckenbrod told NewsNation.
His current attorney, Mindy Bish, alleges class-action lawyers concealed his case to prevent other residents from learning that doctors were capable of making exposure-related diagnoses.
“The class-action attorneys hid him, and they hid him so that no one else in East Palestine would know that there were doctors capable of making a diagnosis related to exposure,” Bish said.
Attorney Melinda Young, who also represents Druckenbrod, said class-action attorneys brought in a doctor who told residents to expect no long-term health consequences from the exposure to encourage participation in the settlement.
“The levels that people were exposed to were so small that we don’t expect any cancers or health effects from those,” the doctor said in a video presentation to residents.
Young said when the court asked if attorneys had made such assurances, “the class-action attorneys misrepresented that fact to the judge and told the judge they never told anyone that — which was just not true.”
Druckenbrod’s former attorney, Mikal Watts, denied the characterizations, saying, “I did not communicate with him to stay quiet. If he believed that he had a personal injury claim worth pursuing, we certainly advocated for those clients to simply opt out and continue to pursue the personal injury litigation.”
The controversy comes as Norfolk Southern recently declared cleanup from the disaster complete, stating on its website that the site was restored. However, independent testing suggests toxins remain in the area.
“The cancers have started. People are starting to get diagnoses that say, go home and get your affairs in order, 24-year-olds who are now 27 like Austin,” Bish said. “These attorneys could have found the truth and could have taken care of East Palestine, and they chose money over their clients.”
The attorneys plan to file a motion in federal court seeking to release Druckenbrod and other residents from the settlement so they can pursue individual lawsuits.
(NewsNation) — The Environmental Protection Agency issued an internal memo warning of “substantial threat to public health and the environment” from the East Palestine train derailment just 10 days after telling residents it was safe to return home, according to internal documents obtained by NewsNation.The February 2023 EPA document described the burning of toxic chemicals as an “open burn” and warned of an “increased likelihood of external exposure, inhalation, ingestion, or direct contact to huma...
(NewsNation) — The Environmental Protection Agency issued an internal memo warning of “substantial threat to public health and the environment” from the East Palestine train derailment just 10 days after telling residents it was safe to return home, according to internal documents obtained by NewsNation.
The February 2023 EPA document described the burning of toxic chemicals as an “open burn” and warned of an “increased likelihood of external exposure, inhalation, ingestion, or direct contact to human populations.”
The memo also acknowledged “high levels of hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in soils largely at or near the surface, that may migrate.”
The internal warning contradicted public statements from EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who told residents two weeks after the Feb. 3, 2023, derailment that “all families need to know that they are safe” and that air monitoring had not detected health concerns in the community.
The document details the release of vinyl chloride and benzene, among 10 toxic chemicals, into the atmosphere when officials burned five tanker cars to prevent an explosion.
Despite the internal concerns, the EPA encouraged residents to return home after a three-day evacuation and maintained publicly that the area was safe.
When questioned in June 2023, EPA on-scene coordinator Mark Durno said he didn’t “see any exposure potential from the derailment site based on the hundreds of thousands of monitoring points that we have.”
Jami Wallace, a lifelong resident and head of the Unity Council in East Palestine, said the document proves residents’ suspicions.
“The EPA knew everything that was going to happen. They knew all the issues that we were going to have from the beginning,” Wallace said. “We were lied to and we were betrayed, but this memo just kind of shows you know exactly what we said was right.”
Attorney Mindy Bish, representing East Palestine residents, said the internal document shows officials knew “these were toxic substances, that they were cancer-producing” but failed to protect residents who returned to their homes.
The community has reported numerous health issues, including rashes, nosebleeds and respiratory problems since the derailment.
In response to the revelations, an EPA spokesperson said:
“The Trump EPA cannot speak for actions taken during previous administrations. We are very concerned by claims that have come to light over the past few months. The Trump Administration is committed to maximum transparency and as such we intend to conduct a thorough review of decisions made in the aftermath of the train derailment.”
330-385-5960
