Amtrak to pay $265M for Philadelphia crash that killed 8
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak will pay $265 million to settle claims related to a crash last year that killed eight people and injured more than 200 others when a speeding train derailed on a curve at night.
The settlement allows victims to have their awards in hand by June instead of waiting years for a lawsuit to play out, their lawyers said Thursday. The deadline to join the settlement program is Nov. 21.
“The program basically allows for a judge, with help from two masters, to hold hearings and evaluate damages,” said lawyer Thomas R. Kline, who led the team of plaintiffs lawyers negotiating with Amtrak.
U.S. District Judge Legrome D. Davis of Philadelphia approved the settlement Thursday.