Attorneys Serving Victims of Philadelphia Train Crash

The derailment of Amtrak Train 188 in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia has left at least 6 dead and sent 146 people to hospitals across the city. The train was traveling from Washington, D.C. to New York on Tuesday, May 12, when it derailed and tipped over in Philadelphia around 9:30 pm.

Train derailments can be caused by a number of different factors. These factors may include failure to follow proper safety standards of track and train maintenance. Operator negligence may also be a contributing factor to a catastrophic train derailment accident.

If you or a loved one were severely injured in the Philadelphia Amtrak train derailment, The Cochran Firm can help you secure justice. Our experienced attorneys can help you recover medical bills, hospital expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. The Cochran Firm has offices in Washington, D.C. (where Train 188 originated), in Philadelphia (where the tragic train accident occurred), and New York City (where the train was headed). We are uniquely situated to provide you and your family dedicated legal representation.

We offer legal representation to victims of the Amtrak train derailment on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee until we win. In addition, your consultation with us is completely free of charge. If you or a loved one was seriously injured in the May 12 Philadelphia train derailment, please call 1-800-THE-FIRM (843-3476). Because strict time deadlines apply, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Amtrak Owes Legal Duty of Care to Passengers

Courts have held that a train derailment creates a presumption of negligence on the part of the railroad operator. When a railway car is thrown from a train track and passengers are injured, courts may presume that the accident was caused by a poorly maintained train track, the train was badly managed, or both combined, and the burden is on the operator to show it was not negligent.

Passenger trains are designed to stay on train tracks. Derailment is caused by faulty tracks, improper car coupling, slack or unsafe car loading, among many other things. The Federal Railroad Safety Act establishes maximum speeds for passenger trains, which the Amtrak train in Philadelphia may have exceeded. Passenger train engineers also have a duty to monitor for dangerous track and bridge conditions. The engineers may have failed to adequately perform this duty as well.

Amtrak Train Derailment Lawsuit

Attorneys representing victims of the May 12 Philadelphia Amtrak train crash may bring a variety of claims in a train derailment lawsuit, including:

  • Negligence based on speed (the Federal Railroad Safety Act establishes maximum allowable operating speeds for passenger trains, which in this instance is (60, 80, 90) for class (3,4,5) tracks.
  • Failure of train engineers to keep a proper lookout for dangerous track and bridge conditions
  • General negligent operation of rail system
  • Negligent maintenance

For employees of Amtrak, Amtrak has a non-delegable duty to provide a safe working environment for employees as promulgated by the Federal Employer’s Liability Act.

Contact Our Experienced Train Derailment Lawyers

The law requires train operators and railroad companies to follow safety guidelines for the public’s protection. If the railroad operators fail to meet these standards, the law provides legal recourse to seek justice. The Cochran Firm’s regional offices in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York are all actively working together to investigate the cause of the accident. Our regional offices have teams of dedicated train accident attorneys with experience in handling train accident lawsuits.

The law requires train operators and railroad companies to follow safety guidelines for the public’s protection. If the railroad operators fail to meet these standards, the law provides legal recourse to seek justice. The Cochran Firm’s regional offices in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York are all actively working together to investigate the cause of the accident. Our regional offices have teams of dedicated train accident attorneys with experience in handling train accident lawsuits.

No Fee Until You Win

The Cochran Firm offers free, prompt, and confidential case reviews. We represent our clients on a contingency basis which means there are absolutely no legal fees unless we recover for you. There are strict time deadlines when filing a train accident lawsuit so please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Call us at 1-800-THE-FIRM (843-3476) 24 hours a day, seven days a week or fill out a contact form here on our website.