Overview
- Darren Brown Jr. filed the federal case against Brightline and Fortress Investment Group under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act and is representing himself.
- Brown, a conductor from 2018 to 2023, says he encountered more than 10 traumatic incidents, including at least seven fatalities documented in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
- A Brightline-contracted clinician diagnosed him with chronic PTSD in October 2023, and the suit says the company denied or limited his requests for leave or accommodations before he resigned.
- The filing alleges negligence, claiming preventable crashes and uninstalled grant-funded safety upgrades, along with pressure on crews to keep trains running after deadly incidents.
- Brightline declined to discuss the litigation but said it complies with federal regulations, while the NTSB continues to investigate the corridor’s unusually high fatality rate, reported at roughly 195 since 2017.