At least two lawsuits have been filed stemming from a Nevada accident last month where a tractor trailer slammed into an Amtrak double-decker train, killing six people. Amtrak, one of the plaintiffs, claims that the crash cost it $10 million.
The first lawsuit was filed late last month byAlexandra Curtis of Evanston, Ill., a train attendant who was hurt in the June 24 accident just east of Reno. Her suit was filed in Washoe County District Court in Nevada, and charges the truck driver Lawrence Valli, 43, and John Davis Trucking Co. with negligence.
Valli hit the train despite the fact that there flashing warning signals and the rail line’s crossing gates were down.
According to the Associated Press, Curtis is asking for damages of more than $10,000 and wants unspecified medical costs for her “severe and permanent injuries.” She also claims that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Amtrak has also lodged a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Reno against John Davis Trucking, alleging that the company was negligent in hiring Valli.
The lawsuit charges that the trucking company “negligently entrusted the vehicle to Valli, who it knew or should have known was incompetent and/or unqualified to operate the Peterbilt tractor-trailer combination.”
Amtrak’s suit says that it has sustained more than $10 million in property damage, business loss and costs related to the accident.