An Amtrak passenger train left Los Angeles in mid-March 2016, bound for Chicago, and derailed catastrophically in the predawn hours of Monday the 14 th by the time it reached rural Kansas. Reports say that five passenger carsof the train’s nine in total derailed, rolling them dangerously onto their sides and off the tracks. At least 32 people were sent to the hospital for injuries, 3 of them possibly serious, and an unknown amount more of unreported injuries that did not require immediate medical attention.
According to statements from the train’s engineer, there was noticeable damage to the tracks ahead in the darkness, causing said engineer to pull the emergency braking system; the train was traveling at least 75 miles per hour just before the brakes were engaged, but it is not known how much the velocity was decreased before the accident. BNSF Railway – the company that operates that segment of the railroad tracks – and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are conducting an ongoing investigation to determine what caused the damage. Initial suspicions point to a previous automotive accident that may have been the source.
[CNN and Fox News have full articles for inquiring parties.]
PASSENGERS DESERVE ANSWERS AND COMPENSATION
While there appears to be no reason to suspect that malicious intent caused the damage to the tracks or the derailment, passengers aboard the Amtrak are still anticipating full explanations as to what happened. If railroad accidents such as this are not fully investigated, there will not be any improvements or prevention in the future. According to data collected by the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, there have been more than 1,500 train-related accidents in the country each year for decades, with about 1,300 derailments in 2015 alone.
Research is necessary, as well as legal action. Passengers injured, emotionally or physically, in the derailment have the right to pursue financial compensation and are encouraged to do so. If you were hurt in an Amtrak derailment, contact Morelli Law Firm. We have more than 200 years of combined legal experience and a long history of taking on some of the most difficult cases and succeeding. Call toll-free at 877.751.9800 for more information about our services.