Victims of the Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia have begun filing lawsuits against Amtrak. The crash killed eight people and injured more than 200 after a northbound Amtrak train traveling at more the twice the speed limit hit a curve and jumped the tracks. A 1997 law limited the amount of damages that Amtrak could pay to $200 million for the combined total paid to victims and their families for crash-related losses.
A new bill in Congress has been presented that would increase the cap to $500 million. The existing $200 million cap was put in place as part of a rescue for the national passenger rail service. At the time, Amtrak’s biggest accident settlement totaled $58 million, in a case involving a January 1987 collision with a Conrail train outside Baltimore that killed 16 people. But the cap hasn’t been adjusted for inflation. According to a statement from Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, who has introduced a bill to lift the cap to $500 million, the current $200 million cap “may not be enough for medical and other expenses given the scope of the potential damages in the May 12 Amtrak crash.”
Call the experienced attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter if you or a family member was injured. Consultation is free. We can obtain the records for you if we investigate the case.
By Michael W. McGuckin, Esquire; Attorney for the Reading, Pennsylvania Personal Injury Law Firm of Liever, Hyman & Potter, P. C. which limits their practice to medical malpractice, car, truck, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death cases, premises liability, nursing home neglect, and work injuries. Serving Berks, Schuylkill and surrounding counties for over 50 years.