(The following Associated Press article was published in the January 9 issue of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.)
AMITE, La. — Lawyer Johnnie Cochran, best known for working on the defense team that won O.J. Simpson’s acquittal on a murder charge, said the way people were moved out of danger of chemicals spilled from a derailed train was mishandled.
Cochran is working with Amite residents on a class-action lawsuit against the Canadian National Railroad whose freight train derailed on Oct. 12.
The accident led to a three-day evacuation of downtown Amite, the seat of Tangipahoa Parish. Authorities have said nobody was seriously injured in the accident.
The company says a broken rail probably caused the 22 cars to jump off the tracks. Some of the cars spilled hydrochloric acid.
But Cochran charged that the situation for evacuees may have been made worse by a lack of evacuation routes, inadequate resources and fire stations.
“We don’t ever want to see tragedies like this, but it could have been handled a lot better,” Cochran said.
More than a dozen attorneys filed at least four separate class-action lawsuits after the incident. The suits were combined and moved to federal court in New Orleans.
Judge Jay Zaney is scheduled to hold hearings on the suits on Jan. 29.
Cochran and six other lawyers met about 300 residents at the Butler AME Zion Church on Tuesday to discuss legal strategy.
Cochran told residents to maintain health records since the derailment, and he cautioned the plaintiffs not to expect money quickly.
“Just because we file a lawsuit doesn’t mean you will get a check tomorrow,” Cochran said.
Cochran, a native of Shreveport, was the deputy attorney for Los Angeles’ criminal division and became assistant district attorney for Los Angeles County.
His clients have included Simpson, Michael Jackson, Abner Louima, and former Black Panther Geronimo Pratt.
He also worked on a class-action suits involving a paper mill explosion in Bogalusa and a train derailment in Eunice.