Commuters Seek Class Action Status in Suit Over Collapsed Bridge

More than 30 people are suing CSX Transportation because of a collapsed bridge over a railroad track in Berkeley County, S.C.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports a train hit the 110-foot bridge on Cypress Gardens Road last month causing the road to be closed.

Commuters must now use a 22-mile detour around the site while the replacement is being built. The new bridge will cost about $2 million and take another five months to build.

Attorney Christopher Biering says his clients are working-class people forced to spend five to 10 additional hours a week commuting and to spend additional money on gasoline. Biering wants to make the case a class action lawsuit.

The railroad says it does not comment on pending lawsuits.