Lives were changed forever on June 27, 2022 when a train operated by Amtrak, The Southwest Chief, derailed as it struck a dump truck at a railroad crossing off of County Road 113 near Triplett Township in Chariton County, Missouri. The train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago carrying 275 passengers and 12 crew members. Over 40 people were hospitalized and 4 people lost their lives due to the train derailment.
The National Transportation Safety Board responded to reports of the Amtrak derailment by launching a 14 member go-team to investigate the derailment. The investigative team will be led by Jennifer Homendy, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Sadly, injuries and deaths caused by trains are all too common throughout the country. The lack of warning system on railroad crossings, like the one in Mendon, has been responsible for countless deaths and injuries for decades due to the failure of government and railroad companies to invest in making their crossings safer for the public to use.
ABC news reported:
Homendy expressed frustration that NTSB recommendations made as far back as 1998 to upgrade passive crossings to “active crossings” — ones that are controlled by crossing bars, lights and bells — have not been heeded.
“Anytime our recommendations aren’t heeded, of course, I’m upset because we see tragedy after tragedy after tragedy and numerous fatalities and injuries,” Homendy said. “It’s very frustrating for our investigators, very frustrating, when they are on scene and they know what would have prevented this.”
If you were a victim on that fateful Monday afternoon, your life has undoubtedly changed. You may be wondering what to do next to get your life back to normal. The attorneys at Preuss | Foster Law have been asked to represent some of the passengers of this Amtrak crash. We are guiding our clients through this process and would like to let other passengers know that we can be a resource to them to answer questions and guide them as well if they need help. We offer free consultations and no fees unless we win, so discussing your situation and helping answer any questions is always free.
The only way to prevent tragedies like this train derailment from happening again is to hold the responsible parties accountable for their negligent actions that caused you harm. The attorneys at Preuss | Foster Law can be the advocate you need to get the results you deserve.
The attorneys at Preuss | Foster Law have decades of experience representing victims of train accidents like this Amtrak derailment near Mendon, Missouri. We are currently investigating this matter. If you believe that you or a loved one has been affected in this Amtrak derailment please contact us immediately. We want to be there to help you and your family figure out what to do next as you begin your road to recovery.