Amtrak Derailment Victims Affected by Inadequate Compensation

After the Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia last month, the victims of the accident are beginning to seek compensation for their injuries.
With over two hundred people injured in the accident, the costs for claims are expected to be high due to the nature of the victims’ injuries and expenses related to the medical care needed for severe injuries, like amputations and brain injuries. However, due to the cap on Amtrak’s legal liability, the compensation these victims will receive is not expected to be nearly enough.

The cap on Amtrak’s liability is $200 million per crash, which is not expected to cover the expenses of the victims of the Amtrak crash. Like other railroad companies, Amtrak is federally subsidized, so the federal government covers any losses faced by the company. This cap was established to save taxpayer dollars. To date, lawyers have been unsuccessful in the attempt to raise the cap to $500 million.

While $200 million is a significant amount of money, when you consider the astronomical medical expenses that many victims will incur, the amount is simply not enough. For example, if one of the victims was the sole breadwinner of the family, making a significant salary, and he or she suffered a traumatic brain injury that prevents him or her from working, the loss of salary, combined with the ongoing medical expenses, could impose a huge financial burden if the compensation does not cover the loss.

After such a tragic event, victims are often overwhelmed by the physical and emotional repercussions. While a fair compensation cannot erase the event, it can help the victims and their families recover from the catastrophe without the added financial burden of being unable to pay their mounting medical bills.