Why fight?

Re “A family’s vigil for a dead rail worker,” Feb. 17

Although Pat Johnson and her daughters are understandably upset about the death of their loved one, their protest seems an ill-advised attempt to shake down Union Pacific for something for which it bears no responsibility.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office, Cal-OSHA and the Federal Railroad Administration have concurred with the company that Chuck Johnson’s death was natural and unrelated to his work. The Johnsons’ attorney walked away from the case, which is a clue that there’s nothing worth pursuing. If this man had died at home, I doubt we’d see an article about the unfairness of it all. Please, Johnson family, put away the megaphone. You diminish the struggles of others with real workplace legal issues.

Dawna Kaufmann

Los Angeles