The family of a grandmother who fell into a sinkhole in Unity Township and died is suing the property owners.
Rescue crews recovered the body of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard, more than three days after she fell into a roughly 20-foot-deep sinkhole while looking for her cat in December 2024.
>>> PHOTOS: Search for missing woman, 64, in Unity Township <<<
The sinkhole was connected to an abandoned mine structure, located near Monday’s Union Restaurant.
On Wednesday, Kenneth Pollard, the administrator of Elizabeth Pollard’s estate, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Family of woman who may have fallen into sinkhole while looking for cat speaks out
The lawsuit alleges that the mine’s owner, U.S. Steel, and the property owner, Monday’s Union Restaurant, were responsible for maintaining the area and keeping it safe.
The plaintiffs allege that the place where Elizabeth Pollard fell was likely to collapse due to prior mining, but the defendants didn’t appropriately address the risk.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Some Unity Township residents invest in mine subsidence insurance after grandmother dies in sinkhole
Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Mark Malone provided this statement:
“Elizabeth Pollard should still be alive. The defendants’ alleged failure to provide and maintain a safe environment caused her preventable and untimely death. This lawsuit seeks to hold these entities accountable for their alleged negligence, which has robbed a family of a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. The Pollards deserve justice, and we will fight to ensure no other family is forced to endure a devastating loss like this.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Year after woman dies in sinkhole, neighbors still worry another may open up
We reached out to Monday’s Union Restaurant. They told us they have no comment.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
