PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A former Brightline conductor is suing his former employer and its parent company claiming the job left him with life-altering psychological damage.
WATCH BELOW: Former Brightline conductor sues company for $60 million
Former conductor Darren Brown is demanding more than $60 million in damages and he explains why in a 230-page personal injury lawsuit.
Brown told me he's unable to speak on camera at this time. However, his federal lawsuit against Brightline and Fortress Investment Group, the private equity firm with a controlling stake in the high-speed rail, has a lot to say.
Brown wrote on his own behalf that he worked as a conductor for Brightline from 2018 to 2023.
During that time he said he was "involved in more than 10 traumatic incidents, including at least seven confirmed fatalities" two across Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Brown describes those incidents in disturbing detail, writing that he had to "leave the cab and walk… through burning car wreckage, twisted metal and debris fields contaminated with blood and bodily remains” to assess the scene.
The complaint involves one incident "in which a Brightline train was cleared through an active fatality scene, re-running over the decedent’s remains while emergency responders were still on foot.”
"The focus was on quickly securing the scene, performing minimal inspection, and returning the train to service to limit delays and bad publicity,” Brown wrote in his complaint, which he filed on his own behalf.
He includes copies of his medical records showing he was diagnosed by a Brightline-contracted provider with post traumatic stress disorder as a result of these incidents, yet given what he calls inadequate support and medical leave by the company.
The suit alleges several counts of negligence claiming that many of the catastrophic collisions were avoidable, had Brightline and Fortress installed the safety improvements for which they'd received grants. Brown said the companies prioritized profits over the health and safety of employees, passengers and the public.
Brightline and Fortress both told me they couldn't comment on the pending litigation.
However, Brightline did share the following statement with WPTV:
"Brightline is fully committed to the safety and well-being of train crews and operates in compliance with all federal laws and regulations governing rail operations. Our locomotive engineers & conductors are the backbone of our service, and we go above and beyond federal requirements in supporting them with compassionate assistance and stress management options, including relief days. Our commitment to the entire crew is demonstrated by providing a dedicated team of outside health care professionals available to engage Brightline Teammates for individual mental health support. Elements of this program are voluntary but provide an excellent resource for anyone who would like to utilize the assistance.
We again ask that everyone does their part to prevent the impacts of these tragic, but avoidable incidents. We all need to do our part – motorists, pedestrians and community members – to act safely and follow the laws around the tracks."
They encouraged people in the community to follow the laws and be careful around the train tracks.
READ FULL COMPLAINT BELOW:
47159768-gov.uscourts.flsd.703456.1.0