A federal judge will now consider three lawsuits filed by fourteen people accusing General Motors, Ultium Cells, and LG Energy Solutions of negligence for an alleged chemical leak at the Lordstown battery plant.

The lawsuits, originally filed in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, were transferred to U.S. District Court in Youngstown last week.

One complaint was filed by 11 employees of various contractors who alleged that on August 16, 2022, they inhaled “chemically laced” fumes after doors to an oven used in an installation process were left open when the oven was fired up.

The lawsuit said that workers were called back the next day while the company allegedly withheld critical data about the nature of the exposures.

The workers, who claim they suffer from toxic chemical exposure, bronchitis, and hyperreactive airway disease, are seeking damages of more than $25,000.

Similar allegations and claims for damages are spelled out in the other two lawsuits filed by workers and one of their wives against the three companies, as well as Lake Erie Electric, which was one of the contractors building the battery plant.

None of the defendants have filed an answer to the complaints. A representative of Ultium Cells told 21 News they cannot comment on pending litigation.

While investigating the cause of a March 2023 explosion and fire at Ultium Cells, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration identified 19 safety and health and recommended $270,000 in penalties.