The recent Amtrak train crash, in which Train No. 188 derailed on a Tuesday night in Philadelphia, has raised questions about the safety of the Amtrak train tracks and has prompted a federal investigation into the Amtrak crash.
According to recent reports, technology that already exists and could have prevented this tragic train crash was missing from this portion of the Amtrak track.
Because of the Amtrak Train 188 train crash, at least eight people were killed and over 200 more injured on the night of May 12 of this year. The wrongful death lawsuits and personal injury lawsuits stemming from the train wreck may have been avoided if Amtrak had installed positive train control technology on the stretch of track in Philadelphia where the train derailed.
Positive train control is technology designed to automatically slow down and stop the train in order to prevent accidents; Amtrak installed positive train control technology in various railways in the Northeast Corridor, but not in the section where Amtrak train 188 crashed, where the train from Washington to New York was traveling at a reported 106 miles per hour in a curve with a 50 mile per hour speed limit.
The Importance of Amtrak Positive Control Technology
According to an interview statement given by Illinois Representative Rodney Davis:
“In this case, clearly Amtrak had the money to be able to install the PTC [positive train control] technology on tracks, and also they had the ability to install less costly technology that could’ve easily prevented tragedies like this from happening … a 2012 inspector general report that Amtrak themselves did not even ask for funding to implement PTC, Positive Train Control, in their fiscal year of 2012-2017 budget request.”
Davis’ response stems from some reports citing Amtrak’s low funding to explain the lack of positive control technology in the stretch of track where the Amtrak train crash occurred. However, Amtrak received $1.3 billion from the 2009 federal stimulus package, $850 million of which was specifically supposed to help maintain Amtrak’s infrastructure.
Additionally, according to Robert Sumwalt, who is a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, “We feel that had such a system been installed in this section of track, this accident would not have occurred,” he stated in the news conference that took place in the wake of the Amtrak 188 crash.
Just last week on June 2, a congressional hearing was held to discuss the now infamous Amtrak derailment and train crash. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure focused on the absence of positive train control technology in the Amtrak train crash.
During this meeting, Amtrak’s President stated that positive train control would be installed on the entire Amtrak train track system by the end of 2015, which coincides with the federal mandate deadline. He also acknowledged that the train company had underestimated the risks of speeding on train curves, specifically the curve where Amtrak 188 derailed in May.
Amtrak Train Crash Lawsuits
While answers are still being uncovered about how and why the crash occurred in federal and private investigations of the Amtrak crash, many victims and families of victims involved in the Amtrak 188 crash are now filing Amtrak lawsuits against the company.
Obtain a Free Amtrak Train Crash Lawsuit Evaluation
If you or a loved one were injured or killed during the May 12, 2015 Amtrak derailment, you may have a legal claim.
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