Lawsuit comes to trial in East TN derailment case
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A trial is beginning in a lawsuit filed against a railcar owner by some Tennessee residents who were forced to evacuate after a 2015 train derailment.
News outlets report railroad company CRX and several evacuees have reached a settlement, the details of which have not been made public, but a lawsuit against Union Tank Car Co. starts Monday. The derailment forced about 5,000 Blount County residents to evacuate when the broken axle of a railcar carrying 24,000 gallons of the carcinogenic chemical acrylonitrile partially derailed the 57-car train.
The evacuee plaintiffs blame the company for a failed wheel roller bearing. Union Tank Car says CRX was responsible for inspecting the car.
A lawsuit by emergency responders alleging damages from toxic gas exposure is not included in Monday’s trial.
