Three killed and dozens injured after Amtrak train goes off the track in Missouri
Ryan Bradley | June 28, 2022 | Personal Injury
Tragedy struck on Monday evening (6/27/22) when an Amtrak train collided with a dump truck, derailing the train. Eight train cars and two locomotives departed from the tracks at an uncontrolled intersection near the city of Mendon, Missouri, at 12:42 p.m CT. The intersection did not have gates or warning lights. Mendon, a city in Chariton County, is approximately 100 miles (northeast) of Kansas City. The train was traveling around 90 miles per hour before the crash.
Amtrak officials reported that there were 243 passengers and 12 crew members on the train. At the time of this writing, the collision has killed four people and injured more than 100 other passengers. Helicopters flew Injured passengers to hospitals in Columbia and Kansas City. Other passengers spent the night in nearby schools and shelters.
The Amtrak train was on its way to Chicago from Los Angeles. Incidentally, the collision was the second this week. An Amtrak train in rural California collided with a passenger vehicle on Sunday (6/26/22) evening, killing three people and injuring two others. This collision was also at an unmarked intersection.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators have arrived at the scene to begin an investigation into the factors that led to the collision. Mendon Mayer Quinton Lucas offered condolences on Twitter.
Individuals who need immediate information about the train can contact 1-800-USA Rail.
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How Common Are Train Accidents in the United States?
Train accidents are fairly uncommon, especially derailments. There are only about 1,500 train accidents each year. There were 1,579 train accidents in 2021. Over 1,000 of these accidents involved derailments, while another 92 resulted from collisions. Most accidents are not highly publicized.
Amtrak has experienced about two dozen derailments a year over the last decade. While train derailments may be rare, they typically cause catastrophic and fatal injuries when they occur.
Train Accident Victims May Be Entitled to File a Personal Injury Claim
Accident victims of the Mendon Amtrak crash may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawyer. Amtrak is a common carrier and must provide its passengers with the highest degree of care. If Amtrak fails to maintain a train properly or its conductors fail to operate a train responsibly, they can be held liable for injuries that result from such negligence.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused the collision and derailment in Mendon. It may be too early to tell if Amtrak or another party was negligent. Nonetheless, accident victims should consider contacting a personal injury lawyer to review their legal options after the collision. An injury claim may be their only way to recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, among other things.