San Bernardino Residents Sue Over Derailment, Blast

Residents of a San Bernardino neighborhood ravaged last year by a train derailment and subsequent gasoline pipeline explosion filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking unspecified damages for injuries and emotional distress.

The complaint, filed jointly by 275 plaintiffs in Los Angeles County Superior Court, blames negligence and “reckless disregard for safety” on the part of Southern Pacific Transportation Co. and Calnev Pipeline Co. for the accidents that killed six people and injured dozens last May.

The suit also names the city and county of San Bernardino, charging that government agencies were negligent in permitting homes to be constructed within 30 feet of Calnev’s underground fuel line. Further, the plaintiffs allege that inspectors with the state Office of Pipeline Safety placed residents at risk by failing to adequately check the gas line for damage before allowing it to reopen after the derailment.

Spokesmen for the railroad and Calnev declined to comment on specific allegations but argued that the companies have acted with compassion in attempting to ease the trauma suffered by residents. The firms provided lodging, food and a payment of $5,000 to families who needed help.

On May 12, a freight barreled off the tracks at the foot of the treacherous Cajon Pass, flattening seven homes . Two trainmen and two children in one of the homes were killed.

Two weeks later, the 14-inch pipeline--which carries unleaded gasoline to Las Vegas--exploded, sparking a fireball that killed two people, injured 31 and destroyed or damaged 18 homes.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators believe the underground pipeline, which parallels the railroad tracks, probably ruptured either because of damage caused by train wreckage or in the cleanup.