The tragic Amtrak Train No. 188 derailment resulted in more than 200 injuries and eight deaths. Per a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, the railroad disaster happened because the train’s engineer was distracted by news about a rock-throwing incident involving another train. In the wake of the train accident, the court appointed a Plaintiffs’ Management Committee (PMC) to handle securing the financial help that injury victims and the families of those who died as a result of the derailment desperately needed. In this video, firm partner Fredric Eisenberg, who along with mass transit accident lawyer Todd Schoenhaus, is a member of the PMC, discusses how the PMC was able to recover the largest railroad accident settlement in US history during an ABC Channel 6 Action News segment.
For more information about the historic $265 million Amtrak settlement or to set up a free consultation to speak with an experienced mass transit accident attorney about your situation, call Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck at (866) 569-3400 or go to our website: http://ow.ly/Yn77307l7eK
Transcript:
A US district judge has ordered Amtrak to accept a $265 million dollar settlement in connection with last year's deadly train crash in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Action News reporter Vernon Odom is live at 30th street station. Vernon, Amtrak has accepted the settlement calling it fair what are the details and reaction. Jim, it actually involves more than 125 pending lawsuits against Amtrak right now, it's designed, the civil lawyers involved in negotiations say, to compensate the victims and their families sooner, rather than perhaps, far later. These cases can drag on for many years. Action News video from that night brings back the horror of May 12th of last year when Amtrak 188 Washington to New York, derailed here in Philadelphia. When the engineer became distracted while going too fast into a curve. Eight passengers were killed, 200 injured. 125 claims are still pending, but today a federal judge signed off on a $265 million dollar settlement, that frequently can take three to seven years, to settle these kinds of mass disaster cases. We believe it to be the largest settlement program in a derailment or in a railroad catastrophe and it also has an element of uniformity and fairness and expeditious resolution. Not only is this money being paid timely and efficiently, but everybody will have their day in court so to speak. Having a fact-finder decide what their case is worth. Geralyn Ritter was severely injured in the 188 crash, she has endured at least a dozen surgery so far. She spoke with our Chad Pradelli last May, on the one-year anniversary of the Amtrak catastrophe. My life is so radically different now, I hurt all the time. I think that many of our clients relive that nightmare on a daily basis and are unable to return, to not only their normal routines, but have nightmares about what happened. Jim, the lawyers with who we spoke today, believe that all the persons who filed suit could have all their money in their hands by the end of next year 2017, live at 30th street station, I'm Vernon Odom Channel 6 Action News. Vernon, thank you.
