Authorities have said that at least seven people have died and more than 200 of the 243 people travelling in it have been injured. The accident occurred when the train travelling on the Washington to Boston route took a curve at 102 miles an hour, more than twice the speed limit.
All seven coaches of train were derailed at around 9:30 pm. Authorities continue to search the debris for survivors or victims since not all the passengers in the Amtrak manifesto have been accounted for.
More than 200 Injured
Passengers emerged from the carriages, bloodied, and battered. They had been tossed around inside the carriages when the train was being derailed. Injuries included those to the head, fractures, damage to vertebrae, and bleeding noses. Among the injured were grandmothers and pregnant women.
Investigations Ongoing
The authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident. They have questioned the train’s engineer who was rendered unconscious in the accident and does not remember why the train was speeding. The National Transportation Safety Board has said that the speeding train cannot necessarily be blamed on the engineer. Instead, the brakes might have failed, or there could have been a problem with the train or the tracks. The trains was manufactured by Siemens and delivered in 2014.
However, the tracks in that section are heavily used, making it difficult for the authorities to maintain them. This section of the tracks does not have the positive train control system that can slow down a train exceeding the speed limit. Train operators such as Amtrak are mandated by law to install these systems by the end of the year, but many analysts say that this might not be possible. The NTSB has said that a positive train control system could have slowed down the train and prevented the accident.
Apart from the black box, the investigators are also looking at a video from a camera on the locomotive to see if they can determine the cause of the crash.
Personal Injury Compensation
If you have been injured in an accident such as this, you need to retain the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer who can obtain compensation from the people or entities held responsible for the accident.
An accident injury causes pain and suffering, medical costs, as well as loss of wages and income. Moreover, some of the injuries can have long term effects, making it difficult for the injured person to continue working in their earlier occupation. For instance, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and fractures can cause disabilities that prevent a person from working full time, travelling, or even performing household tasks.
Sometimes, the injured person requires help at home to perform routine tasks, modifications of the home to make them mobile when they are recovering, and training in new skills if they are unable to work at their former occupations.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will collect all of the medical records and bills and negotiate a fair compensation for you. This is why you hire one of them so they can take the burden out of your hands so you can focus on your job and family. Let them take on the legal issues while they keep you informed every step of the way and discuss with you the options that you have.
