Last evening – Tuesday May 12 th – an Amtrak train traveling from Washington, DC to New York derailed and overturned in northeast Philadelphia. At the time of the incident, Train 188 was carrying over 240 passengers. Tragically, several passengers have been pronounced dead and dozens more have suffered injuries.
Here is what is known about the Amtrak crash so far:
- 7 people have been killed and more than 200 people were transported to hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Several passengers were critically injured.
- As of Wednesday morning, not all passengers have been accounted for, and local officials suspect the death toll may rise.
- When the incident occurred shortly after 9:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, Train 188 was carrying 238 passengers and 5 crew members.
- According to the Federal Railroad Administration, the derailment was Amtrak’s ninth so far this year.
- All seven train railcars were completely overturned, on their side, or significantly damaged, and many passengers were forced to escape the wreckage through windows of the backs of railcars. The Mayor of Philadelphia has referred to the incident as an “absolute, disastrous mess.”
Federal officials from various agencies – including the National Transportation Safety Board – are currently investigating the cause of the accident. Although no definitive cause has been identified, experts have speculated that aging infrastructure may have played a role.
The accident occurred near Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood on the Northeast Corridor – a stretch of track that reaches from Washington to Boston. It is one of the most heavily used sections of passenger rail in the country and was the scene of one of the nation’s deadliest train accidents – a 1943 derailment that killed 79 people.
Our legal team is deeply troubled by the scope of the Amtrak accident, and we extend our full support to victims and families who were affected by this tragedy. Throughout the years, our firm has worked with many victims and families whose lives were changed by train accidents, including incidents involving Amtrak.
You can learn more about train accidents and our extensive experience with these cases on our website. If you have questions about how our attorneys can help you, contact Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. for a free case review.