Clifford Law Offices has been retained by an injured passenger in September 25th’s Amtrak derailment in Montana, that left three people dead and dozens injured. The firm, which recently obtained a $57 million settlement against Amtrak for the 2017 derailment in Seattle, Washington, is examining all avenues of legal liability as it prepares filing a lawsuit against all those responsible for this tragedy. Clifford Law Offices has assembled a team of experts including former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators to conduct a thorough examination of all aspects of this tragic derailment.
September 25’s Amtrak train was headed from Chicago to Seattle when it derailed ejecting some of the 158 people on board that included 17 crew members in Joplin, Montana, about 200 miles north of Helena, the state’s capital.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has assumed the lead role in determining how eight of the 10 cars left the tracks. The Federal Railroad Administration also has a team of experts assisting in the investigation. They reportedly are using video footage from the train and black-box data as well as analyzing damage to rail cars and injuries to survivors and those killed. Rail safety experts say there could be numerous reasons for the derailment, including human error, track failure, and equipment malfunctions, which is more common on older equipment such as the Empire Builder train that reportedly is a bi-level Superliner fleet operating this route, the oldest in Amtrak’s rolling stock.
The train derailed on tracks owned and maintained by BNSF Railway Company, a freight railroad. Most of Amtrak’s national network runs on tracks that belong to freight railroads.
“The families who were injured or lost loved ones deserve answers, they deserve justice,” said Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices with more than 40 years of rail litigation experience on behalf of plaintiffs. “Our experts are conducting an independent investigation of what occurred here so that no stone is left unturned. These types of derailments cannot be tolerated when the public depends upon transportation giants to offer them safe modes of travel throughout the United States.”
To speak to Robert A. Clifford or a member of the transportation liability legal team at Clifford Law Offices, please contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).
“Clifford Law Offices represented me and my family when I was catastrophically injured as a result of the Amtrak derailment in December 2017 near Seattle, Washington. We were fortunate to have benefitted from Clifford Law Offices professionalism, expertise and experience.” -Blaine Wilmotte
Read the full Clifford Law Offices Obtains $56.78 Million in Settlements in Seattle Amtrak Derailment press release.