You must have heard of the 2017 Amtrak train derailment in DuPont, Washington, like when it happened, it was all over the news, and the national media was talking about it for days, actually. But now, there is this Tim Brodigan Lawsuit that surfaced related to the tragedy that happened that day. And sure enough, one of the victims of this accident, who survived but got his life completely altered, is the one who wants to hold accountable the parties who were responsible for such an accident.
Why Did This Lawsuit Start in the First Place?
Just to give you some background, on December 18, 2017, an Amtrak Cascades passenger train derailed in the vicinity of DuPont, Washington. And? Well, first of all, in fact, it was the very first passenger trip for the train on a newly introduced route called the Point Defiance Bypass, you know, a shortcut that from Seattle to Portland would save around ten minutes.
The thing is, this new route included a very sharp curve where the trains had to slow down from nearly 80 miles per hour to about 30. And? See, the train didn’t decelerate. At the full speed, it entered the curve, went off the tracks, and several coaches dropped onto the highway underneath. Super sad!
On the spot, three people were killed, and many people were seriously injured. A 16-year-old passenger, Timothy Brodigan from Washington state, was also among those injured.
Tim’s plan was very simple: he just wanted to visit his family in Oregon. The accident, however, changed his life dramatically, like in a very literal sense. He was found by rescuers who had to cut him down from a car window, twisted and barely breathing, with a very severe spinal injury that caused him brief paralysis. His family was told that he might not be able to walk again in his life, but in actuality, his way to recovery kinda has been magical and remarkable in some sense.
What Are the Main Claims in the Case?
Fast forward a little. After a time, Tim and his parents decided to sue. Why? First of all, they were not looking to raise a huge public outcry, you know, they were just simply seeking answers and accountability.
Their lawyer brought Amtrak, Sound Transit, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to the court as the principal defendants.
The lawsuit basically accused the three groups of failure to adequately ensure the safety of the new route before it was opened for public use.
It pretty much boiled down to:
- Amtrak was blamed for putting an engineer on the controls who didn’t have the necessary training, see, this engineer reportedly referred to that first trip as a “learning experience.”
- Sound Transit was blamed for rushing the route opening without conducting proper safety checks. On top of that, actually, just two years earlier, an internal analysis by their team had identified the risk level of the curve as “unacceptable.”
- And WSDOT? They were supposed to have the oversight of both Amtrak and Sound Transit. The lawsuit claimed that they dropped the ball.
Where Things Stand Now
This is the part that really matters: Tim Brodigan has got his legs working again. Good, but…
It’s true that he still occasionally takes advantage of the assistance of a walker, but at one point the medical experts were convinced that he wouldn’t be able to move his legs ever again. And now? He is striving to be able to walk with only the help of a cane, you know, maybe he will even be able to run someday.
In the meantime, Amtrak’s operation on that specific route is once again up and running, nicely with all the new safety tech installed.
