The company has repeatedly said that it will make the situation right, Yost noted, adding: "This lawsuit will make sure that Norfolk Southern keeps its word." The suit, filed in U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Ohio, cites the company's escalating accident rate, which has risen 80% in the past 10 years. At least 20 Norfolk Southern derailments since 2015 have involved chemical discharges. "The derailment was entirely avoidable and the direct result of Norfolk Southern's practice of putting its own profits above the health, safety and welfare of the communities in which Norfolk Southern operates," the lawsuit says. Norfolk Southern is cited for numerous violations – 58 in all – of various federal and state environmental laws and Ohio Common Law. Generally speaking, the allegations of Norfolk Southern's wrongdoing fall under: The Common Law violations include negligence counts relating to defects in the train and the train's operation.