BNSF: Rail Accident Victims Should Have to Use Arbitration
BNSF Railway Co. has asked a federal court to require victims of a deadly Amtrak crash in Missouri to pursue settlements through arbitration, rather than lawsuits.
BNSF owns the railroad tracks used by Amtrak when a Southwest Chief train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago collided with a pickup truck that was blocking an intersection near Mendon, Missouri. Three train passengers and the truck driver died and dozens more were injured in the June 27 collision.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed since the collision against both railway companies. Missouri transportation officials, Chariton County leaders and areas residents had been pushing for safety upgrades at the crossing, which is steep and had no lights or other signals to warn about an approaching train….