New York residents may be interested in the findings of a federal investigation into an Amtrak derailment that happened in December 2017. Investigators say that a speed limit sign of 30 miles per hour was posted 2 miles before the curve where the train derailed while moving 78 mph.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigation is still ongoing and is expected to take more than a year to complete. The engineer and conductor of the train were injured in the crash and have not yet been interviewed. The derailment left 3 people dead and injured 62 others aboard the train.
Investigators do not know why the train was traveling at more than double the posted speed on the curve. There were posted speeds of 79 mph in the area, but two 30 mph signs were posted on the engineer's side as a warning of the upcoming curve. Cameras recorded the engineer saying that the train was moving too fast about six seconds before it derailed. Investigators say the engineer did not use emergency brakes. The NTSB also says that if the train had been equipped with automatic brakes, they would have slowed the train.
The accident also injured eight people who were on the highway when train cars left the tracks. One of those people has filed a lawsuit in Washington state court.
Mass transit accidents can result in serious or fatal injuries to many people at once. In New York, claims against the transit authority are common, but filing a municipal claim can be more complicated than filing against an individual. There are strict filing deadlines for filing a municipal claim in New York as well as other required steps that must be taken.