DC Metro Crash May Have Been Caused by Circuit Malfunction | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A circuit breakdown may have caused the devastating Washington, DC, Metro crash on June 22, 2009. The circuit in question malfunctioned on numerous occasions leading up to the accident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

“Though we have found anomalies in other areas of the rail system, we have not found anything that resembles the magnitude of the track circuit problem at Fort Totten,” the area where the accident occurred, said Metro General Manager John Catoe in a statement, quoted by Bloomberg News.

Nine people were killed and more than 80 were severely injured in the light-rail train accident. I want to send my deepest condolences to friends and family who lost loved ones. As someone who has used the DC Metro and am friends with people who utilize it regularly, it’s still tough to come to terms with such an immense tragedy.

Our law firm has written extensively about the DC Metro crash and handle cases related to rail injuries. I hope the investigation of the commuter rail system provides enough information to prevent such a disaster from occurring again. Also, an in-depth exploration into who knew what about the faulty circuit and how likely it was to malfunction needs to be conducted. 

PA