Amtrak Derailment Compensation Cap Raised to $295 Million

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF)- Lawyers for the Amtrak train derailment victims will hold a news conference Wednesday to talk about the impact of a major decision.

The attorneys say they are praising a decision made in congress to raise the cap on damages that are paid to victims of the Amtrak Train 188 derailment victims.

Prior to the decision, the compensation cap had been set at $200 million, but attorneys say medical bills and other costs drastically exceeded the federal cap which was set in place back in 1997.

According to the attorneys the cap will only be raised by $95 million dollars this time around, but they say that's just a starting point.

Attorneys Tom Kline and Robert Mongeluzzi endorsed the decision, as both firms together represent 29 victims who have filed claims so far.

Eight people were killed and more than 200 were injured in the May 12 th derailment.

Since the crash, Amtrak has added safety features to the Frankford curve area, while Philadelphia investigators are still waiting to talk to the train's engineer who is currently on unpaid leave.

The NTSB told criminal investigators there were no problems with the train's brakes or the tracks.