Senator introduces bill to raise Amtrak liability cap
Reprints
Amtrak's cap on liability would increase to $500 million from the current $200 million if a bill introduced in the Senate becomes law.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., introduced the legislation Monday in response to last week's Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia that killed eight people and injured more than 200 others.
Under current law, Amtrak's liability per accident or incident is limited to $200 million. The cap was set by the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997.
Sen. Nelson's bill, which is an amendment to the act, would be effective for any passenger rail accident or incident occurring on or after May 12, 2015, thus covering last week's Amtrak accident.
“We can't allow anyone to suffer additionally due to an outdated cap based on mid-1990 dollars,” Sen. Nelson said in a statement.
Read Next
-
Passenger trains collide in Austria
Two local passenger trains have collided in Graz, Austria's, reported Xinhua.
