Amtrak’s new ticket rules won’t let passengers sue in a crash – By Sam Mintz (Politico) / Nov 8 2019
Passengers and their survivors won a $265 million court settlement with Amtrak after a 2015 derailment in Philadelphia killed eight people and injured hundreds more.
But if such a crash happened today, the victims would not be able to sue. That’s because of a clause the passenger rail line quietly added to its ticket purchases in January, which forces disputes into arbitration with no right to go before a judge or jury.
The change is bringing objections from consumer advocates, who note that it covers scenarios ranging from ordinary ticketing complaints up to wrongful death, and even includes minors who had the tickets purchased for them. And it could soon get Congress’ attention.
The language has flown under the radar so far, but may burst into view when the House Transportation Committee holds a hearing on Amtrak next week.
“It is one of the most anti-consumer and passenger clauses I’ve ever seen,” said Julia Duncan, senior director for government affairs at the American Association for Justice, which represents trial lawyers.
Continue to article: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/08/amtrak-crash-sue-068175
