On December 18, 2017, a devastating Amtrak train derailment occurred outside of Tacoma, Washington in the nearby town of DuPont. The passenger train derailed as it was crossing an overpass bridge above Interstate 5, and cars from the train eventually fell off of the bridge and landed on several vehicles in the roadway below. Three people were reportedly killed as a result of the train accident, and dozens more have been injured and transported to nearby hospitals.
Our award-winning attorneys have been retained by multiple victims of the Amtrak derailment, and the firm is currently investigating additional claims related to the incident. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of this tragic incident, it may be in your best interests to consult with the experienced personal injury attorneys at Davis Law Group to learn more about your legal rights and determine if you would benefit from hiring a lawyer.
About The Amtrak Cascade Train Derailment
Date: December 18, 2017
Time: 7:33am
Location: The Amtrak Cascades train derailment disaster took place in DuPont, Washington where Mounts Road crosses Interstate 5 near the Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Eagle's Pride Golf Course in Pierce County, Washington.
Train Set Configuration: 12 cars and two engines
Train Models: Siemens Charger SC-44 with a Cummins QSK95 (4,400-horse power) diesel engine. The locomotive weighs 42,000 pounds and is 8-foot tall.
Speed: Train was going 81 mph at the time of the accident. The speed limit for that section of track is 30 mph.
Passengers: 80 passengers were on the train at the time of the crash.
Crew: 5 Amtrak crew members were working on the train.
Vehicle Accidents: 5 motor vehicles and 2 semi-trucks were involved in the crash.
Injuries: 72 people were injured.
Fatalities: 3 people were killed.
Amtrak Cascades Train Service Information
Amtrak is the largest provider of passenger train service in Washington state and throughout the United States. The railway operator has hundreds of routes across the country that serve millions of traveling passengers every year.
In 1999, Amtrak launched the Cascades route to serve passengers who wished to travel up and down the western coast of the U.S. The route runs north and south, to and from Eugene, Ore. to Vancouver, British Columbia and has stops throughout the Pacific Northwest along the way.
Before 2017, the Amtrak Cascades trains had run successfully without incident since the service began in 1999. However, the Amtrak Cascades route experienced two serious incidents in 2017 - once on July 2, and then again on December 18. The July incident was worse for optics than anything else; most passengers in that incident were unharmed, and those who were injured only suffered minor injuries.
The train involved in the derailment was part of the inaugural trip along a recently-established route that Amtrak had launched to improve reliable transportation between Seattle and Portland, OR. The train was traveling at approximately 80 mph at the time of the derailment, in a zone that was designated for speeds of up to 30 mph. These facts suggest that somewhere along the line, a serious error or lapse of judgment was made.
Free Legal Consultations For Derailment Victims
For nearly 25 years, attorney Chris Davis and the legal team at Davis Law Group have represented accident victims who have been badly injured or killed as a result of someone else's negligence. This involves several high-profile cases against commercial vehicle companies and their insurers. Most recently, Davis Law Group successfully negotiated a $3 million settlement on behalf of a family whose parents were killed in a tragic collision with a transit vehicle. The terms of that settlement were confidential, so we can only share limited information about that case.
The December 18, 2017 incident was the largest Amtrak-related train derailment to have ever occurred in Washington state. Our award-winning legal team has the necessary experience to properly conduct a thorough investigation into the crash and determine who may potentially be held liable for causing the derailment.
If you or a loved one was hurt in the December 2017 Amtrak derailment, it is likely in your best interests to at least consult with a qualified personal injury attorney who has experience in commercial vehicle and mass transit cases. Our attorneys will review your potential case absolutely free, and we will schedule you for a free legal consultation if we believe we can help improve or maintain the value of your case.
Contact our office at (206) 727-4000 today or use the confidential contact form on this page to have your case reviewed by our award-winning team of attorneys.