CHICAGO — The widow of a man killed in Saturday’s Empire Builder derailment in Montana has filed suit against Amtrak and BNSF railway for their alleged role in her husband’s death.
Courthouse News Service reports Rebecca Schneider, wife of 28-year-old victim Zach Schneider, filed suit Tuesday in federal court in Chicago for unspecified damages. Zach Schneider was among three people killed; Rebecca Schneider is reported to have sustained severe injuries. Her suit claims neglicence, infliction of emotional distress, wrongful deatjh, and survival action.
The 35-page filing proposes that the derailment was caused by poor maintenance and inspection of tracks, reckless operation of the train, and or malfunctioning train control systems, and says the accident “occurred due to the systematic failures of Amtrak to have an adequate culture in place to ensure safety on its railways.”
Amtrak said in a statement to the news service that it was sorry for the Schniders’ loss and was offering assistance “to injured passengers and employees and the families of those who have lost loved ones” but was otherwise unable to comment on the litigation. BNSF declined comment.
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