A family from Kansas aboard the Amtrak train that derailed Monday, June 27, 2022 in rural Missouri is among those who will be filing lawsuits against the train company as well as the company that owned the dump truck hauling rock that blocked the tracks.
The family, who was taken to a hospital for their injuries, contacted Clifford Law Offices to help them find out what happened early Monday afternoon when the passenger Amtrak Southwest Chief Train 4 derailed in Mendon in the central part of Missouri. The train was headed to Chicago having started in Los Angeles, California, and making many stops along the way, including stops in Kansas. The family boarded in Kansas City, Missouri, headed to Chicago for a future business leaders conference at McCormick Place.
It is being reported that four people, including the truck driver, were killed, and 150 of the 243 passengers aboard were taken to area hospitals, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. A go-team of 14 officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived Tuesday to investigate the derailment, including whether all proper Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety rules were followed. The NTSB will look into whether the train used its horn to warn of its presence as well as the speed of the train which is regulated by the FRA.
The derailment occurred at an “uncontrolled intersection” with no lights or electronic controls, according to the highway patrol. The intersection also will be examined. The NTSB is reporting that upgrading that rail intersection would cost approximately $400,000. The tracks have been shut down while the investigation at the scene continues.
“Uncontrolled grade crossings are inherently dangerous,” said Kristofer Riddle, partner at Clifford Law Offices who is handling 42 cases from a 2021 Amtrak derailment in Montana. “Clifford Law Offices will conduct its own investigation into what occurred, but inevitably negligence is involved, and the stakes are very high when a high-speed passenger train is involved.”
Riddle was also part of the trial team that obtained a $16.75 million verdict for several clients who were involved in the 2017 Amtrak derailment outside DuPont, Washington.
“We continue to receive inquiries from others who were aboard the train in Missouri,” Riddle said. “People want answers, and they deserve answers.” The family from Kansas was in the fourth or fifth car that derailed off the tracks.
Clifford Law Offices is seeking information, videos, photos, and witness accounts from those at the scene. The law firm intends to file a lawsuit against Amtrak and the trucking company, on behalf of the Kansas family, alleging a number of causes of actions based upon its own investigation as well as information provided by officials.
For further information, please contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell) or Kristofer Riddle at 312-899-9090.