Chicago woman hurt in derailment awarded $29.5M

[February 28, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- A jury has awarded more than $29.5 million to a Chicago woman seriously injured in a 2005 commuter train derailment.

A Cook County jury handed down the verdict Friday in the lawsuit of 28-year-old Renea Poppel (re-NAY'-ah pah-PELL'), who suffered massive brain injuries in the September 2005 accident.

Metra says two people were killed and more than 100 injured when the train derailed on its way to Chicago.

Investigators say the train was traveling 69 mph, though signals appeared to have directed the engineer to slow the train to 10 mph to change tracks.

Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet (PAR'-dohn-nay) says the rail agency won't appeal the verdict.

[Associated Press]

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