Train Detailment

Kristofer S. Riddle, partner at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a total of $13,045,000 in settlements surrounding the September 25, 2021, derailment of Amtrak’s Empire Builder Train 7 outside Joplin, Montana, which was finalized on March 31, 2026. The settlement concludes the cases filed by Clifford Law Offices in the federal district court that involved the derailment of eight of Train 7’s passenger cars due to poor track conditions, including worn rail, vertical track deflection, subgrade…

In a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), federal investigators identified multiple preventable factors that contributed to the derailment of an Amtrak passenger train near Joplin, MT on September 25, 2021. Investigators say the incident, which killed three people and seriously injured dozens, was caused by poor track conditions at the accident site. According to the report, the tracks, owned by BNSF, showed worn rail, vertical track deflection, instability, and track misalignment. The…

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from East Palestine, Ohio following the fiery derailment and crash of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials on February 3, 2023. The 100-car freight train that derailed February 3 was carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene and butyl acrylate, the US Environmental Protection Agency told CNN. Michael Graham, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told AP News that 14…