Residents Near Dunnellon’s Rainbow River Sue CSX, Track Line Rail, and Florida Northern Railroad Company Over Toxic Tie Fire, Seeking Medical Monitoring for Thousands

UPDATE JULY 10 2026 – Victims of the Dunnellon Rainbow River railroad tie fire have filed a motion asking the U.S. District Court to remand the proposed class action to the Circuit Court of the Fifth Judicial Circuit in and for Marion County, Florida.

On June 10, defendants CSX Transportation and Florida Northern Railroad Company filed a joint notice removing the case from state court to federal court, arguing that the lawsuit met the legal requirements for federal jurisdiction.

In the Motion for Remand, filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by Miami-based law firm The G Law Group, the plaintiffs argue that this is fundamentally a Florida case. The fire occurred in Florida, the alleged harm affected a Florida community, and the proposed class is made up of Florida residents, making it the type of local dispute that Florida's courts should decide.

The motion also argues that the removal was procedurally defective because the defendants failed to establish the unanimous consent required to remove the case to federal court. It further argues that the claims arise entirely under Florida law, rather than federal law.

Simeon Genadiev of The G Law Group said "This is not a dispute that affects interstate commerce, multiple states, or people from all over the country. It is a disaster that unfolded in the heart of a single Florida community. A disaster that impacted the Florida residents, workers, property owners, and businesses around the site of this localized fire. They deserve the opportunity to seek justice for their damages.

"This is exactly the kind of local controversy that Florida's courts are intended to hear. The community has lived through the consequences of this fire first hand, and it is only right that those claims are heard where the harm occurred."

FEBRUARY 25 2026 - MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA - Weeks before flames engulfed approximately 100,000 creosote-soaked railroad ties near the Rainbow River, Marion County officials ordered the companies responsible to remove the ties. The lawsuit alleges those warnings were ignored.

Miami-based law firm The G Law Group has filed the class action lawsuit against CSX Transportation, Track Line Rail and Florida Northern Railroad Company alleging a pattern of ignored warnings.

Improper storage of railroad ties led to toxic fire and state of emergency

The lawsuit alleges these companies stored the toxic railroad ties in an unsecured manner near homes and the ecologically sensitive Rainbow River, despite orders from Marion County officials to remove them. The February 1st Dunnellon Railroad Tie Fire released thick black smoke and ash into surrounding neighborhoods and forced Marion County Commissioners to issue a state of emergency on February 3rd.

Carcinogenic risks of creosote and proposes class of nearby residents

The blaze involved thousands of creosote-soaked railroad ties. Creosote is a coal tar derivative the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as a Group B1 probable human carcinogen. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry identifies roughly 300 chemicals in creosote, many linked to diseases like skin cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, and neurological damage. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of plaintiffs Curtis Trammell and Christopher Bryant Crabtree by attorney Simeon Genadiev, of The G Law Group, proposes a class of potentially thousands of individuals within 30 miles of the site of the toxic railroad tie fire.

Damages and court-supervised medical monitoring for exposed community

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for property loss, diminished property value, loss of use, out-of-pocket expenses, lost income, and other economic harms. It also demands punitive damages to hold these companies to account for their conscious disregard of health and safety. A centerpiece of the litigation is the demand for a court-supervised medical monitoring fund - a mechanism to provide ongoing health screenings for community members potentially exposed to the creosote-fueled fire.

“Our focus is the health and safety of this community,” said Simeon Genadiev of The G Law Group. “County and city officials warned these companies. The Fire Marshal warned them. They chose to take the risk anyway. This lawsuit is about holding corporations accountable for treating the safety of a community as an acceptable line item on a balance sheet.”

About The G Law Group

The G Law Group is a Miami-based personal injury and class action law firm representing individuals and families affected by serious accidents and injuries throughout the United States.

The firm handles cases involving personal injury, catastrophic injury, deceptive and unfair practices, and wrongful death.

Led by Managing Partner Simeon Genadiev, The G Law Group is committed to advocating for clients and helping them pursue accountability and recovery.

THE G LAW GROUP, P.A.

Attorneys for the Plaintiff(s)

1501 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 501

Miami, FL 33132

Tel: (305) 709-8877

Fax: (786) 460-8333

sgenadiev@theglawgroup.com