Personal Injury Blog

California Lawmakers Call for More Compensation for Metrolink Train Accident Victims

July 14th, 2011
Metrolink train accident

More compensation for metrolink victims

Lawmakers in California are calling on a French company to set aside more money for compensation for victims of the 2008 Metrolink train accident in Los Angeles.  According to members of the Congressional delegation, the victims’ medical and other expenses are likely to exceed the $200 million already paid by the company and Metrolink.

The French company is Veolia Environment, and its subsidiary was the employer of the engineer Robert Sanchez, who investigators have blamed for the Metrolink accident.  On September 12, 2008, a Metrolink train operated by Sanchez ran a red light near Chatsworth, Los Angeles and crashed into a Union Pacific freight train on the same track.  It was a head-on collision, and had a devastating impact.  25 people were killed in the accident.  More than 100 people were seriously injured.

Victims, who were depending on Metrolink to pay out their medical expenses and other forms of compensation, were severely disappointed when they found out about Metrolink’s cap on liability damages.  There is a $200 million liability cap, which ensures that the company does not need to pay out more than $200 million in damages in the event of an accident.  The liability cap was imposed as part of legislation aimed at helping train operators turn a profit.

However, it doesn’t take a Metrolink accident lawyer to understand that when 25 people have died leaving behind families and survivors with expenses, and more than 100 people have suffered injuries, $200 million is a small amount that barely covers essential expenses.

That is the reasoning behind the efforts by lawmakers in California to encourage Veolia Environment to set aside more money for compensation for the victims of the crash.  According to the lawmakers, $200 million will barely cover medical expenses for the victims of the crash, and there are other expenses like lost wages, future medical expenses and other damages that need to be accounted for.  $200 million will not cover these expenses.

The lawmakers are calling on the French company to follow the example set by BP after the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion last year.  In April 2009, an offshore oil rig operated by BP exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.  11 workers died, and dozens of workers suffered injuries.  The explosion also led to a massive environmental spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which devastated local economies.  BP stepped up to make things right, offering to pay more than it was required to under the law.

The lawmakers who are calling on Veolia Environment include 15 Democrats and two Republicans.  They’re calling on Veolia to do the right thing, so that the families of those who died in the tragedy as well as those who were severely injured can be free from financial anxieties.

 

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