Amtrak 5 incident near Reno NV (CZ California Zephyr)

[Dick H]

I see the trucking company filing bankruptcy any day.
It's unlikely they will have adequate liability insurance
to cover the fatalities, equipment and cleanup.

[train2]

I am a little late to this thread. I see there are 9 pages of replies, many before the facts were fully know. I have a simple question so please save me reading 9 pages.

What was the cause of the fire? Truck fuel, something on the train?

T2

[DutchRailnut]

fuel from truck and plastic interior of car.

[Greg Moore]

I see the trucking company filing bankruptcy any day.
It's unlikely they will have adequate liability insurance
to cover the fatalities, equipment and cleanup.

Depending on details, this may be a case where the corporate veil could be pierced.

[3rdrail]

I agree, Greg. I think that it is very possible. This is big enough for the State to suspend their operating rights also so as to freeze their operating style in an examination for consistant dangerous conditions. If such a condition contributed to this accident, you might see jail time.

[R36 Combine Coach]

This could also lead to a major FMCSA/FHWA investigation.

[3rdrail]

It's an unusual accident in that all the major overseers who would normally enforce, investigate, and control this incident are a part of it (and not on the kicking end). The State of Nevada has their Rte. 95 there and the U.S. Government via Amtrak has their train. Both of these organizations are going to want to put a magnifying glass to this accident. Insurance Companies that may cover the trucking company, Amtrak, and individuals, also are going to be right in there. Sorry for how this sounds, no pun intended, but it's the best way to put it - there's a lot of heat on this one !

[NE2]

Before anyone says "but it's U.S. Highway 95!", it's numbered in a national grid but maintained by the state.

[litz]

Even more, just wait ... if they discover this truck driver was on his cellphone, or texting, or otherwise distracted ... what happened to the rail industry after Chatsworth will happen to the CDL drivers too.

[Jersey_Mike]

Even more, just wait ... if they discover this truck driver was on his cellphone, or texting, or otherwise distracted ... what happened to the rail industry after Chatsworth will happen to the CDL drivers too.

Doubt it, the truck industry has an effective lobby. They're probably the ones who were just waiting for the chance to burden the railroads with extra costs.

[SooLineRob]

Even more, just wait ... if they discover this truck driver was on his cellphone, or texting, or otherwise distracted ... what happened to the rail industry after Chatsworth will happen to the CDL drivers too.

Doubt it, the truck industry has an effective lobby.

Jersey Mike,

Do you really think the trucking industry will be able to stop any legislation prohibiting the use of electronic devices by commercial drivers while operating a vehicle?!?!? How would the American Trucking Associations convince the public that preventing distracted drivers is a bad idea?

The safety of the public will prevail over any industry lobby. Period.

[JimBoylan]

Various news organizations are reporting that Amtrak is suing John Davis Trucking Co. of Nevada, citing more than $10,000,000 in damages. Those reports repeat that an assistant conductor is already suing.
Unfortunately, when I searched the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's computer at
http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/p ... _getdetail, that is, I went to http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/p ... prc_limain and Chose Menu Option "Carrier Search", I found that $0 of the required $750,000 of insurance was on file!

[F40]

Oh you can all check out the crossing from Google Street View.

http://maps.google.com/?ll=39.895596,-1 ... 1,,0,-6.41

After seeing there is 'nothing' for miles around, an accident bears more than likely (all other factors up to par, i.e. no defective equipment), the possibility of human error (lack of careful judgment). My condolences and prayers go to the families and train crew.

[afiggatt]

Various news organizations are reporting that Amtrak is suing John Davis Trucking Co. of Nevada, citing more than $10,000,000 in damages. Those reports repeat that an assistant conductor is already suing.

Amtrak presumably raced to the courthouse to get a early place in line and to be able to get court orders to preserve evidence and records at the trucking company and other involved parties. Looking at the John Davis Trucking Co website, they described themselves as a local family owned operation. Looks like a medium size company with a fleet of over "a hundred side dumps and belly dumps" and a separate operation called 3D Concrete with 15 mixer trucks and several pump trucks. This is not a small 3-4 truck operation which could fade away in the night, it should have insurance and some assets to go after if necessary. But it is not a big corporation operation with deep pockets either.

[Jersey_Mike]

Do you really think the trucking industry will be able to stop any legislation prohibiting the use of electronic devices by commercial drivers while operating a vehicle?!?!? How would the American Trucking Associations convince the public that preventing distracted drivers is a bad idea?

Of course not, they'd just eviscerate any means to effectively enforce it Do you honestly think that the current regulations on driver rest, qualifications and hours of service are well enforced?