The widow of a Union Pacific Railroad engineer who died in a train collision last October filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company after an apparent mechanical brake malfunction. On the day of the incident, engineer Jason Martinez’s train was heading east to North Platte, Nebraska, when the train’s crew realized the brakes were malfunctioning. The crew alerted Union Pacific Railroad dispatch center and informed them that the train had accelerated to 50 mph and was unable to stop. The train ultimately collided with another train that was stopped on the tracks about 18 miles west of Cheyenne, Wyoming. No one was in the stopped train at the time of collision.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident, but a preliminary report released indicates that something in the brake system malfunctioned. Between both trains, sixty-six cars derailed. The NTSB estimates the damage to be around $2.4 million.
Martinez’s wife, Sheila Martinez, filed a lawsuit in the First Judicial District Court of Wyoming, claiming the company was negligent. Mrs. Martinez is arguing that Union Pacific Railroad had a duty to provide her husband with a safe work environment and that the company failed to enforce safety rules by failing to properly inspect or maintain the train’s brake system.
If you have a loved one that has been wrongfully killed by the negligence of another, it is important to find a skilled law firm to handle your claim. The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is the oldest personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys can assist you with your claim. Call us today at (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211 for your free consultation.