Nevada Truck Firm in Amtrak Crash Could Pay $4.5M+

A Nevada trucking company could be forced to pay more than $5.5 million if a judge formalizes a jury verdict that found one of its drivers caused a 2011 crash with an Amtrak train that killed six people and injured dozens.

A federal jury in Reno awarded $4.5 million to Amtrak and $210,777 to Union Pacific Railroad for damages resulting from John Davis Trucking Co.’s negligence when one of its trucks slammed into the passenger train at a rural crossing 70 miles east of Reno.

U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben has stayed the formal execution of the judgment until Sept. 29 to consider awarding attorney fees and prejudgment interest to the railroad companies.

The truck driver and five people on the California Zephyr were killed in the crash southwest of Lovelock.