Lawyers For Victims Of Amtrak Derailment Say Congressional Action Will Mean More Compensation For Victims
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Lawyers representing those injured and killed in the May Amtrak derailment are praising Congressional action that could mean more money to compensate victims of the deadly crash.
A provision in a 1,300-page transportation bill would raise the cap on total victims' compensation in the Amtrak crash from $200 million to $295 million.
The crash killed eight people and injured more than 200.
Plaintiffs attorney Tom Kline says, "We believe that the bill which will be enacted will provide a measure of justice which could not have been achieved if the cap had stood at its 1997 level of $200 million."
Plaintiffs attorneys Kline and Robert Mongeluzzi represent 29 victims. Mongeluzzi said he expected liability and punitive damages from the crash to well exceed the $295 million cap.
He said expected a preliminary report from the NTSB by the end of the year.
