Families Sue Attorneys Over Botched Amtrak Wrongful Death Case in Chester
The mothers of Jahaad Atkinson, 9, and Ah’Yir Womack, 12, who were killed by an Acela train in Chester in April 2023, have filed a legal malpractice lawsuit against their former attorneys, Emeka Igwe and Daniel Purtell. The lawsuit alleges professional negligence, claiming the attorneys failed to present crucial evidence that Amtrak operators knew people were on the tracks at least 20 minutes before the collision. This information, according to the malpractice complaint, would have supported an argument that Amtrak acted 'wantonly and recklessly.' The initial lawsuit, which focused on a hole in a fence near the tracks, was dismissed by a federal judge who stated that Pennsylvania law does not require railroads to fence their property and that the children were trespassing. The mothers contend that their former legal representation neglected to introduce an Amtrak Police incident report detailing radio discussions about individuals on the tracks, which could have established willful or wanton conduct by Amt...
