According to the New York Times, a Pennsylvania judge has decided to reinstate charges against an Amtrak engineer after a 2015 train crash that killed eight people and injured more than 200. The judge, Victor P. Stabile, revived the more than 200 charges filed against the former engineer, Brandon Bostian, because he found the judge who dismissed the charges “improperly considered evidence that should be litigated at trial.”
“The court agreed with our office and ruled the Attorney General can move forward in our work to deliver justice,” a statement issued by Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, said. “The families who lost loved ones in this fateful crash and the many passengers who were injured deserve closure.”
The accident occurred when Bostian was driving a Washington-to-New York train and accelerated at 106 miles an hour when the train curved on a track meant to be used at 50 miles an hour. The train veered off the track and into Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood, causing eight deaths and hundreds of injuries. Investigations said that the engineer had lost awareness of the train’s location due to being distracted by radio transmissions.
Amtrak paid up to $265 million to victims and their families back in October 2016 – one of the largest settlements related to a train derailment in the United States.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Accidents?
Amtrak accidents, like all train accidents, can be caused by derailments, collisions with other trains, misaligned tracks, or unauthorized entry into areas like work zones. The nature of the accident can help attorneys determine who should be held liable for injuries and wrongful deaths.
Individuals or entities that can be held liable for Amtrak accidents include:
- Amtrak as a company
- Engineers, if they were found to be negligent in their actions (negligence can include distracted driving, fatigued driving, and excessive speeding)
- Owner of the train tracks, if the tracks are found to be broken or poorly maintained
How Our Attorneys Can Help
Amtrak accidents often injure numerous people at once and can cause injuries ranging from minor, including cuts and abrasions, sprains and fractures, and whiplash, to more serious, such as broken and crushed bones, internal bleeding, burns, head and brain trauma, and spinal cord and neck injuries. At Belushin Law Firm, P.C., our Amtrak accident attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for clients who have faced financial debts associated with their injuries.
With our experience and resources as a firm, we can build your case and hold negligent parties responsible, even large companies like Amtrak.
We can fight for your rights to full compensation so you can pay for the following:
- Medical bills, such as hospital stays and surgeries, ambulance rides, medications, and physical therapy
- Lost wages or future earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
We can also help you cover the costs of a burial or funeral if your family lost a loved one due to another party’s reckless mistake. We can’t take you to a time before your accident, but we can help you move on towards a better future.
Injured in an Amtrak accident? Call Belushin Law Firm, P.C. at (888) 918-9890, or contact us online for a free consultation with our experienced personal injury attorneys. With millions recovered for clients, we can be relied on to fight for your rights to compensation.