Philadelphia – JAMS, the largest private provider of ADR services worldwide, is proud to announce that Hon. Diane Welsh (Ret.) has been appointed a Master of the Amtrak Train Derailment Settlement Program.
On May 12, 2015 Amtrak Train 188 carrying 238 people derailed in Philadelphia, Penn. The resulting deaths and injuries from this accident created federal litigation filed in multiple jurisdictions. In October 2015 the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated these actions and transferred them as Multi-District Litigation before the Honorable Legrome C. Davis of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In December 2016, the Court appointed two Masters to review the submissions of the participating plaintiffs and apply Pennsylvania Law to their damages analysis. In addition to Judge Welsh, Hon. William Manfredi, (Ret.) of ManfrediADR will serve as the Masters and JAMS shall oversee the settlement program. They will make a recommendation concerning total compensatory damages to be awarded to each participating plaintiff. Judges Welsh and Manfredi will review submissions for the ‘Expedited’ matters and preside over the ‘Standard’ track hearings to conclude by April 26and provide the Court with a Report and Recommendation by May 26. The plaintiffs will receive their settlement checks in July.
As a retired federal magistrate judge, Judge Welsh specializes in resolving complex, multi-party disputes, including catastrophic personal injury cases. She is highly respected for her ability to resolve matters with sensitivity, patience and persistence. Throughout her legal career as a judge and neutral, Judge Welsh has settled more than 5,000 cases in virtually every area of civil litigation. She has been appointed special master on a variety of mass torts throughout the country.
About JAMS
Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide. With Resolution Centers nationwide and abroad, JAMS and its nearly 350 exclusive neutrals are responsible for resolving thousands of the world’s important cases. JAMS may be reached at 800-352-5267 or www.jamsadr.com.
