BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The widow of a Norfolk Southern trainee killed last year when struck by debris in a locomotive cab has sued the railroad, the news site Al.com reports.
Sherita Fields filed suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court earlier this year over the death of Walter James Griffin III, 43. Griffin was killed in a Dec. 13, 2022, accident in Bessemer, Ala., when struck by a piece of metal protruding from a car that pierced the locomotive cab, according to the preliminary accident report from the National Transportation Safety Board [see “Preliminary NTSB report offers details …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 18, 2023]. Another crew member was seriously injured The Federal Railroad Administration subsequently issued a safety bulletin as a result of the accident, urging railroads to inspect cars before departure [see “FRA issues safety bulletin …,” News Wire, Jan. 6, 2023].
The suit says Griffin, a conductor trainee, was struck in the head. It also names fabricator U.S. Pipe, where the car had been unloaded and serviced prior to the accident, and a U.S Pipe employee, according to Fox Business. WBRC-TV reports a hearing is scheduled for today (March 16) to determine the schedule for the case moving forward.
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