Train crash survivors present claims to LA judge

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge has begun hearing testimony from survivors of a disastrous passenger train crash in 2008 that claimed the lives of 25 people and injured 100.

Superior Court Judge Peter Lichtman has estimated it will take about two months to hear all the testimony and reach a decision on how to allocate a $200 million settlement.

The first person to testify today, Norman Nicholson, said he was one of the least seriously injured and, as a result, became a rescuer of others. His lawyer suggested he should receive between $200,000 and $300,000 for injuries and emotional distress.

The crash occurred when a Metrolink train ran a red light and slammed into a freight train. Investigators believe the passenger train’s engineer, who was killed, was texting moments before the crash.