Aaron V. National Railroad Passenger Corporation Et Al

On January 31, 2024, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Breayonna Aaron and her children. They awarded $8,800,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000,000 in punitive damages against Amtrak. The total damages amounted to $158,800,000 for the death of Richie Terrell Aaron Jr.

Case Background

On March 18, 2022, a personal injury lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The case, assigned number 4:22-cv-00189, fell under the category of personal injury litigation. District Judge Stephen R. Bough was appointed to preside over the proceedings.

Cause

On January 14, 2022, Richie Terrell Aaron Jr. boarded an Amtrak train in Normal, Illinois, destined for Independence, Missouri. Unbeknownst to Aaron, another passenger, Marquise Webb, also boarded the train in Normal. Webb, a stranger to Aaron, had been involved in a carjacking shortly before boarding and appeared intoxicated with bloodshot eyes. Despite purchasing two tickets for the same journey, Webb was not thoroughly questioned or searched by Amtrak personnel. As the train approached or stopped at the Lee's Summit, Missouri station, Webb shot Aaron multiple times. Passengers immediately alerted Amtrak staff about the shooting and Aaron's critical condition. They pleaded with the staff to stop the train and allow emergency services to reach Aaron. However, Amtrak personnel decided to continue the journey to the next scheduled stop in Independence, Missouri, located about 16 minutes away. During this time, Aaron lay bleeding and dying on the train. Witnesses reported that approximately 35 minutes passed between the shooting and the train's arrival in Independence. Amtrak failed to halt the train at Lee's Summit or at any point along the route to connect with emergency services. When the train finally reached Independence, emergency responders arrived, but it was too late to save Aaron's life. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Injuries

Richie Terrell Aaron Jr. suffered multiple gunshot wounds that proved fatal, resulting in his wron