Seattle Man Sues Amtrak Over Injuries From Train Derailment

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A Seattle man is reportedly among the seven passengers filing lawsuits against Amtrak following a derailment last month that left three people dead.

Per KOMO, 40-year-old Saint Matthew Johnson is suing both Amtrak and BSNF Railways for negligence in the deadly September 25 incident. The Empire Builder train was heading from Chicago to Seattle when eight cars suddenly came off the tracks near Joplin, Montana. The 12-page lawsuit claims he was among the dozens of people injured in the disaster.

“An incident like this doesn’t occur in the absence of negligence,” Kristofer Riddle said, who's with Chicago-based Clifford Law Offices. “We’re talking about the condition of the railcars. Maintenance. Operation. Inspection."

Johnson was hospitalized after suffering "physical and emotional injuries" during the derailment, according to the lawsuit.

KOMO said they reached out to Amtrak for comment on the lawsuit and was told by the company there would be none.

“I won’t get into the details beyond that," Kiddle told reporters. "That’s something that will be handled on the litigation side of things. Long after these lawsuits have resolved, the victims of this derailment are going to be living with the scars from the incident for the rest of their lives.”

National Transportation Safety Board says they're investigating the derailment.


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