The family of Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW) employee who died while working in extreme heat in 2024, is suing the City of Baltimore, attorney Thiru Vignarajah said Thursday. 

Travis Christian, a co-worker who was with Silver on the day of his death, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. 

"I hope this sheds light on the horrific conditions that us DPW workers face on a daily basis," Christian said Thursday. 

The suit accuses the city of violating civil rights laws and forcing employees to work in unsafe conditions. It comes nearly one year after Silver's death. 

"The city of Baltimore and Department of Public Works has to take responsibility and reckon with the harm and death they've already caused," said Vignarajah.

Allegations of unsafe working conditions

In a letter to the city's law department, Vignarajah said DPW employees were afraid to report poor working conditions due to fear of being fired, especially those who have criminal records and are working as a condition of probation. He compared the unsafe conditions to "modern-day slavery." 

"These are men and women who, because they fear a return to prison, are forced to work in inhumane substandard conditions doing grueling manual labor in 100-degree weather, putting their lives at risk and being too afraid to complain," Vignarajah said. 

He also said the department failed to inform workers about the risks of heat exposure or how to respond to symptoms of illness.

"The agency has perpetuated a system where workers cannot ask for assistance, complain about their plight, or even quit—because if they do, they face retaliation, termination, and jail time," Vignarajah said in a statement.

WJZ has reached out to the Baltimore Solicitor for comment. 

Ronald Silver's heat-related death

Silver, 35, died of hyperthermia on Aug. 2, 2024, while on his trash route, according to a report by the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health agency (MOSH) released in April.

In March 2025, the Baltimore Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a detailed report outlining the events of that day, including accounts from witnesses and video evidence.

Silver's co-worker, Christian, told investigators that the DPW truck's air conditioning system was not functioning. He said Silver began feeling unwell several hours into his shift, but declined to rest, fearing the truck driver might report him to management.

Silver collapsed twice that day, according to the report. The first time, Christian said he found Silver lying face down, with scrapes on his hands and elbows and going in and out of consciousness. Christian described Silver's body as "limp and lifeless" as he lifted him into the truck.

Later, Silver collapsed again while approaching a home to seek help. A witness attempted to assist and called 911. Silver was transported to the hospital, where he died.

Safety concerns at Baltimore DPW

The OIG report said DPW workers feared retaliation for stopping work due to illness and described a culture that discouraged breaks even in dangerous heat. It also noted a long-standing pattern of excessive route demands, poor vehicle conditions, and lack of rest periods.

MOSH cited the department for a "serious" safety violation, stating DPW failed to provide a safe working environment free from known hazards, including extreme heat.

The agency also found that DPW lacked any heat safety training before Silver's death. It cited 14 heat-related injuries between 2021 and 2024, although the OIG identified 29 such cases. In response, DPW said it began implementing a Heat Illness Prevention Plan and requested additional time to comply.

Silver's family demands accountability

Silver's family has repeatedly said his death was preventable. They claim DPW ignored years of internal reports warning of unsafe conditions.

"Mr. Silver's death was absolutely preventable and was the direct, predictable result of a city agency that treats its workers like indentured laborers," Vignarajah said in a March statement. "DPW's practices were designed to lock in a culture of silence and subjugation, and Ronald Silver II paid the ultimate price."

Silver's family spoke to WJZ in November 2024, as they were grieving his loss. 

"I just love my son, and I miss him. I just want the world to know that my son did mean something. He wasn't just a trash man," Silver's father said in part.