Newlyweds sue Amtrak over derailment

Two newlyweds injured in the derailment of Amtrak Train 188 in Frankford last month are suing the rail company and the train's engineer, Brandon Bostian, arguing that the couple was hurt due to negligence by each.

The May 12 crash that killed eight passengers and left more than 200 injured caused pelvic, spinal and hip fractures for Kathryn Varnum, 33. Her husband, Declan MacFarland, 34, sustained a concussion and other injuries. The Virginia couple had recently leased an apartment in New York City, where the train was headed.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, alleges that Bostian was reckless in his operation of the train, which was going 102 mph around a curve at Frankford Junction when it derailed, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The suit says that Amtrak showed negligence by not installing a safety system on that stretch of track that could have automatically slowed the cars to a safe speed.

"If Amtrak had chosen to do the right thing, to take the proper safety precautions, then this tragedy could have been prevented," the couple's attorney, Fredric Eisenberg, said in a statement.

Several other passengers have filed lawsuits related to the crash.