Atty. Robert Clifford calls for NTSB investigation into Union Pacific derailment in Glenview

Robert A. Clifford, lead attorney for the Lindner family in the civil action against Union Pacific,  has called for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the cause of the July 4 derailment that killed a Glenview couple.

Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, today (Monday, July 16, 2012) wrote NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman, asking for the agency to exercise its “authority to investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and conditions surrounding this incident, and subsequently determine the probable cause of the derailment that resulted in the deaths of both Burton and Zorine Lindner.”

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRC) currently are heading the investigation which Clifford said in his letter had “at a minimum, the appearance of impropriety if not an outright conflict of interest.”  Clifford went on to say, “The FRA admittedly has limited investigative resources.  The UPRC is obviously biased and has already demonstrated a lack of transparency in the derailment facts that have been released to the public.”  He noted that discovering the cause of the tragedy in Glenview required the “independent, unbiased investigative resources of the NTSB” which could result in “significant nationwide safety information.”  He concluded by saying that “the NTSB is the appropriate governmental agency to independently and objectively investigate this preventable disaster.  There are lessons to be learned from this incident that can help assure that there is not an additional senseless loss of life in the future, and the NTSB is in the best position to assure those lessons are learned and acted upon.”

Clifford will be in attendance at the public hearing at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook tonight on behalf of the Lindner family.  Clifford Law Offices was brought on by the family a week ago to head the litigation.

For further information, please contact Clifford Law Offices’ Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 or 847-251-4877 or 312-899-9090.

 www.CliffordLaw.com

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