$50 million lawsuit filed by sons of woman who died on smoke-filled DC Metro
Metro is now facing a lawsuit as a result of the deadly smoke incident at the L'Enfant Plaza station a few weeks ago.
The family of Carol Glover, the woman who died as a result of the smoke-filled train spoke to the media about the pending lawsuit.
The $50 million lawsuit against the transit agency was filed on behalf of Marcus and Anthony Glover, Carol's two sons. The lawsuit accuses Metro of negligence that lead to Glover's death.
It is a tense and emotional time as the family pushes for answers from Metro while mourning the loss of their mother.
"My mother had unending spirit, unending energy, she always smiled," said Anthony Glover.
He remembers his 61-year-old mother as a warm and supportive person. Her life was cut short the day she became trapped in a smoke-filled railcar near the L'Enfant Plaza station.
"What happened on January 12th was a completely foreseeable event," said Patrick Regan, the family's attorney. "This wasn't something that Metro could not anticipate. Indeed, it was something that happens all the time where trains become disabled in a tunnel."
Through the lawsuit, the family is looking not only for answers, but for major changes to Metro's safety procedures.
"We are approaching this not from the spirit of vindictiveness, we are not seeking vengeance, we are seeking justice," said Marcus Glover. "We just want to make sure that everybody else can ride the Metro system and go about their lives with confidence that they are going to be safe."
The lawsuit also says ventilation fans in the subway tunnel did not work properly that day.
More than 80 other people were hurt or suffered smoke inhalation due to an electrical malfunction. What led to the problem is still under investigation.
We reached out for a comment from Metro, but the transit agency will not comment on pending litigation.
Glover was the first passenger to be killed in a Metro incident since nine people were killed in a 2009 Red Line crash at Fort Totten.