PHILADELPHIA – Two passengers are suing Amtrak after they were allegedly two of the hundreds injured in a high-speed accident.
Maria Gimeno Arando and Luis Fuentes Contreras, residents of Santiago, Chile, filed a complaint on Sept. 8 in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against National Railroad Passenger Corp., also known as Amtrak, alleging negligence.
The complaint states that on May 12, the plaintiffs were taking Amtrak train 188 from Union Station in Washington, D.C., making stops at multiple cities up the east coast. During this trip, the train was allegedly traveling at speeds from 70 to 108 miles per hour. Despite the speed limit of 50 miles per hour, train 188 allegedly did not slow down and derailed in Philadelphia, injuring more than 200 and killing eight, according to the complaint. The claim states that the plaintiffs were severely injured due to the crash, causing physical trauma, mental and emotional panic.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for legal and personal damages suffered. They are represented by Jordan K. Merson, Thomas A. Moore and Judith A. of Kramer, Dillof, Livingston and Moore in New York. The case is being heard by Judge Legrome D. Davis.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:15-cv-05000