2 More Lawsuits Filed in 1989 Train Wreck
Two more lawsuits were filed Thursday over a train wreck and gasoline pipeline explosion that killed six people, injured dozens of others and destroyed eight houses last year in San Bernardino.
The Los Angeles Superior Court suits, filed by lawyer Jack Dougherty, seek unspecified damages. One of the suits was filed on behalf of Edmena Burney and 64 other plaintiffs who lived on or near Duffy Street when a Southern Pacific train derailed last May. Days later, a pipeline ruptured and exploded.
The second suit was filed by Ervin Hawkins, Vivian Hawkins and Terence Dandridge, who were not home when the accidents occurred, but whose property was damaged. The lawsuits allege negligence by the defendants--including Southern Pacific Transportation Co., the state of California and the city of San Bernardino. Railroad and government officials told residents they could return to their homes before it was safe to do so, the suit alleges.
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