Clifford Law Offices Files Lawsuit in Amtrak Crash on Behalf of Injured Michigan Family

    Clifford Law Offices today (Monday, Dec. 3) filed a lawsuit against Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Freight Company in Friday’s crash that injured dozens of Chicago-bound passengers.

    John N. Hamstra, Sr., 63, was hospitalized at Mt. Sinai Hospital after he and his family were injured aboard the Amtrak train.   Hamstra was on board with his wife, Marcia, 63, their daughter-in-law, Bridgett, and their three young grandchildren aged 6, 5, and 9 months, to see the Christmas lights and shop for the holidays.  It was a present from the grandparents to their grandchildren to spend the weekend at a downtown hotel for holiday shopping and seeing the sights.  John Hamstra suffered a fractured right shoulder and concussion.  The other family members were treated and released for various injuries.

    The lawsuit alleges the conductors and other employees of both rail companies were negligent in causing the crash just minutes from downtown’s Union Station.  Clifford Law Offices also will be seeking a protective order so that all documents, tapes and other evidence related to the crash is preserved.

    “We will get to the bottom of what happened here on behalf of the Hamstra family,” said Thomas Prindable, Managing Partner of the firm.  “The accident was a tragedy and it is fortunate that no one was killed given the speed of the trains.”

    Initial reports indicate that the Amtrak train slammed into the parked freight cars then rode on top of a flatbed freight car and the shipping container it was carrying, hurling nearly 200 passengers from their seats.  Dozens were sent to area hospitals in ambulances.