Trespasser sues Amtrak, says company should have protected him

In this age of the ever-increasing frivolity of lawsuits, it’s kind of refreshing to see people that are trying to push the bar even further. (That last bit was sarcastic, in case you couldn’t tell.) 25-year-old Brian Hopkins is suing Amtrak, saying the company should have more measures in place to protect trespassers on its own private property.

Two years ago, Mr. Hopkins was out for a long night of drinking and socializing. At about 2 a.m., telling friends that he “wanted to get back to New York,” he proceeded to head to Boston South Station to try and break into an idle Amtrak Acela high-speed trainset. When that didn’t work, he climbed on top of the train, grabbing an overhead electric wire in the process, and… I probably don’t need to tell you what happened next. He suffered third-degree burns over 85% of his body and ultimately had to have his left hand and leg amputated. According to the lawsuit, Amtrak “should have known that persons trespassed” in South Station and accordingly parked its trains somewhere else.