Ill. Federal Magistrate Judge Weighs in on Railroad’s Mine Subsidence Action Against Reinsurer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An Illinois federal magistrate judge found that Union Pacific Railroad Co. has stated claims for relief as to whether a reinsurer is barred from relitigating issues resolved in previous actions in which it sought reimbursement from the railroad for mine subsidence claims.

However, in a Sept. 29 report and recommendation, Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois opined that Union Pacific may not seek to bar any possible claims for which the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund has not paid, including potential mine subsidence claims that have not yet …