$24.2 Million Awarded to 2 Boys in Pennsylvania Personal Injury Case
On August 10, 2002, Jeffrey Klein(17) and Brett Birdwell(17) climbed atop a Norfolk Southern train car parked on an urban Amtrak train track and suffered electrical burn injuries from electrical wires above the trains. There were no warning signs on the trains, tracks or wires to prevent the personal injury accident.
A Federal court in Pennsylvania found Amtrak 70% responsible and Norfolk Southern 30% responsible for the boys railroad injuries. Lawyers for the boys proved both railroad companies were aware that parked trains under catenary wires posed a personal injury risk to juveniles. The Federal Railroad Administration issued a report to congress in 1971 recommending the railroads put warning signs near the wires to warn the public about the danger of electrocution.