In Brief
- 8th Circuit reversed a $158.8 million jury verdict against Amtrak.
- Court found no legal duty to prevent unforeseeable third-party violence.
- Evidence failed to establish causation for delayed medical response claims.
- Case remanded with instructions to enter judgment for Amtrak.
ST. LOUIS — Amtrak was entitled to judgment as a matter of law in an action brought by the estate of a man shot and killed while riding the train, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on December 31, reversing a jury verdict and award of $158.8 million.
On Jan. 14, 2022, Marquise Webb and Richie Aaron Jr. separately boarded an Amtrak train in Normal, Ill. Webb and Aaron did not know each other and were not traveling together.
Amtrak does not routinely conduct passenger security screening for weapons prior to boarding its trains, but it prohibits passengers from carrying firearms onboard. Notwithstanding the prohibition and unbeknownst to Amtrak personnel, Webb boarded the train with a concealed firearm…