THE COLLISION ARE STILL UNKNOWN, AND THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, AND YOU MAY REMEMBER OVER A YEAR AGO NOW, WHEN NEWS EIGHT WAS BRINGING YOU UPDATES ON A DAYS LONG SEARCH FOR A WOMAN WHO FELL INTO A SINKHOLE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 16 MONTHS AFTER CREWS RECOVERED ELIZABETH POLLARD’S BODY AFTER SHE FELL 20FT. HER LOVED ONES ARE NOW SUING AND SAYING THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THERE ARE NO REPORTS ON WHO THE LAWSUIT IS TARGETING. FAMILIES LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT WAS FILED THURSDAY AGAINST U.S. STEEL. MONDAY’S UNION RESTAURANT AND OTHER UNNAMED PARTIES. U.S. STEEL OPERATED THE MARGUERITE MINE UNTIL 1953. U.S. STEEL STILL OWNS THIS MINE, EVEN THOUGH IT’S CLOSED DOWN, THEY PROBABLY STILL OWN THE MINERAL RIGHTS BELOW THE RESTAURANT, ONE EXCERPT FROM THE COMPLAINT READS. DEFENDANTS KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE DANGEROUS CONDITION, INCLUDING THE EXISTENCE, NATURE AND UNREASONABLE RISK POSED BY THE MINE. SUBSIDENCE. OPENING. THOSE ACCUSATIONS INCLUDE THE RESTAURANT’S OWNER, PAUL IANNAZZO. YOU KNOW, THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPERTY SINCE THEY’VE PURCHASED IT AND OPERATED ON IT, IS IMPORTANT TO THE LAWSUIT. THE POLLARD’S BELIEVE THE SPACE WHERE ELIZABETH FELL COULD HAVE BEEN MARKED TO AVOID THE INCIDENT. QUOTE, ALL DEFENDANTS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING SAFE PARKING LOTS, SAFE PATHS AND A SAFE MEANS WHAT THEY KNEW AND DIDN’T KNOW AROUND THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT IS, YOU KNOW, QUESTION THAT WILL BE ANSWERED. MALONE SAYS THE FAMILY ISN’T WORRIED ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WILL COME FROM THE SUIT. THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT TRYING TO SEEK MONEY DAMAGES, BUT RATHER TRYING TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN TO ANOTHER FAMILY. IF WE CAN CHANGE. U.S. STEEL’S APPROACH HERE ON HOW THEY TREAT THEIR ABANDONED MINES TO BE MORE PROACTIVE THAN REACTIVE. AND THAT’S A HUGE WIN FOR THEM. YOU KNOW, THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN’T DOESN’T HAPPEN TO ANYBODY ELSE IN THE FUTURE. AND THAT WAS OUR REPORTING. NOW, A U.S. STEEL SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE
Family files lawsuit after woman’s fatal fall into Pennsylvania sinkhole
Updated: 7:05 PM EDT May 1, 2026
The family of Elizabeth Pollard, who died after falling 20 feet into a sinkhole in western Pennsylvania 16 months ago, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against U.S. Steel, Monday’s Union Restaurant, and other unnamed parties, with the family claiming the incident could have been avoided. Mark Malone, the attorney representing the Pollard family, said, “The Pollard family is looking for answers and accountability.” Who Is Named in the Lawsuit?The lawsuit, filed Thursday, targets U.S. Steel, which operated the Marguerite Mine until 1953.Malone explained, “U.S. Steel still owns this mine. Even though it’s closed, they probably still own the mineral rights below the restaurant.” The complaint alleges, “Defendants knew or should have known of the dangerous condition, including the existence, nature, and unreasonable risk posed by the mine subsidence opening.” Monday’s Union Restaurant owner Paul Iannuzzo is also named in the lawsuit. Malone said, “Their knowledge of the property since they purchased it and operated on it is important to the lawsuit.” Claims about preventable dangerThe Pollard family believes the area where Elizabeth fell could have been marked to prevent the incident. The complaint further states, “All Defendants were responsible for providing safe parking lots, safe paths, and a safe means.” Malone added, “What they knew and didn’t know around the time of the incident are questions that will be answered.” Family seeks accountability, not just damagesHe emphasized that the family is not focused on monetary compensation, saying, “This isn’t just about seeking money for damages.” Instead, the family hopes to prevent similar tragedies. Malone said, “If we can change U.S. Steel’s approach here on how they approach their abandoned mines to be more proactive than reactive, that’s a huge win for them. They just want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anybody else in the future.” A spokesperson for U.S. Steel said the company is reviewing the lawsuit, while the owner of Monday’s Union Restaurant declined to comment.
LATROBE, Pa. —
The family of Elizabeth Pollard, who died after falling 20 feet into a sinkhole in western Pennsylvania 16 months ago, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against U.S. Steel, Monday’s Union Restaurant, and other unnamed parties, with the family claiming the incident could have been avoided.
Mark Malone, the attorney representing the Pollard family, said, “The Pollard family is looking for answers and accountability.”
Who Is Named in the Lawsuit?
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, targets U.S. Steel, which operated the Marguerite Mine until 1953.
Malone explained, “U.S. Steel still owns this mine. Even though it’s closed, they probably still own the mineral rights below the restaurant.”
The complaint alleges, “Defendants knew or should have known of the dangerous condition, including the existence, nature, and unreasonable risk posed by the mine subsidence opening.”
Monday’s Union Restaurant owner Paul Iannuzzo is also named in the lawsuit. Malone said, “Their knowledge of the property since they purchased it and operated on it is important to the lawsuit.”
Claims about preventable danger
The Pollard family believes the area where Elizabeth fell could have been marked to prevent the incident. The complaint further states, “All Defendants were responsible for providing safe parking lots, safe paths, and a safe means.”
Malone added, “What they knew and didn’t know around the time of the incident are questions that will be answered.”
Family seeks accountability, not just damages
He emphasized that the family is not focused on monetary compensation, saying, “This isn’t just about seeking money for damages.”
Instead, the family hopes to prevent similar tragedies. Malone said, “If we can change U.S. Steel’s approach here on how they approach their abandoned mines to be more proactive than reactive, that’s a huge win for them. They just want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anybody else in the future.”
A spokesperson for U.S. Steel said the company is reviewing the lawsuit, while the owner of Monday’s Union Restaurant declined to comment.