MTA agrees record $182m payout over fatal 2015 Metro-North crash

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to pay out what is reported to be a record $182 million settlement over a deadly Metro-North train crash in Westchester County that claimed six lives and injured more than a dozen people in 2015.

The settlement follows a jury decision in July 2024 which found the MTA largely responsible for the Mount Pleasant collision. Jurors concluded that the agency, which runs Metro-North Railroad, bore primary liability because the train’s operator was unable to stop in time before striking a vehicle that had become stuck on the tracks.

Five of the victims were passengers on a Harlem Line train that crashed into an SUV at the Commerce Street crossing during the evening rush hour on 3 February 2015. The vehicle was being driven by Ellen Brody, a married mother of three, who accidentally turned onto the railway tracks and was also killed in the collision. Her family later blamed the layout of the crossing, which has since been modified with additional safety measures, including traffic signals.

Investigators found that the impact ruptured the SUV’s fuel tank, triggering an intense fire that swept through the front of the train. Several of those killed suffered severe burns, with some victims left unrecognisable due to the scale of the blaze.

Court documents indicate that around $153 million of the settlement will be distributed among the families of the five train passengers who died. The largest single payment, $79 million, is expected to go to the family of Joseph Nadol, 42, a Metro-North commuter, equity analyst and father of three, with the award reflecting projected lifetime earnings estimated at more than $120 million.

The family of scientist Robert Dirks, 36, is set to receive $35 million, while relatives of Eric Vandercar, 53, a senior executive at a financial firm, will receive $25 million. The family of information technology specialist Aditya Tomar, 41, is due $10 million, and the relatives of art historian Walter Liedtke, 69, will receive $4 million.

In addition to the main settlement, the families will also share proceeds from Brody’s $1.3 million insurance policy and a separate $3.2 million agreement reached with the town of Mount Pleasant. Around 30 per cent of the overall compensation is expected to be allocated to legal fees.

Court records show the settlement was approved and sealed by a judge.

Image: ABC News