Metro-North Agrees to More Than $182M Over Deadly 2015 Valhalla Train Crash; Safety Flaws Spotlighted

Eleven years after a commuter train struck an SUV at a grade crossing in Valhalla, New York, Metro-North Railroad has agreed to pay more than $182 million to victims and families affected by the February 3, 2015 collision. The settlement follows years of litigation, a 2017 NTSB safety report and a 2024 jury verdict that assigned substantial fault to the railroad.

What Happened

During evening rush hour, an SUV driven by 49-year-old Ellen Brody entered a grade crossing and became trapped. When the crossing arm descended onto the vehicle, the driver attempted to move forward but remained stuck on the tracks. The train engineer applied the emergency brake roughly three seconds before impact, but the train struck the vehicle at an estimated 50 mph. The collision caused part of the third rail to penetrate the SUV and severely damage the train's lead passenger car.

Casualties and Injuries

Brody, a mother of three, was killed in the crash, along with five men riding in the first car of the train. Dozens more passengers suffered injuries, some life-altering.

Investigations and Liability

In 2017 the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that while the driver initiated the sequence of events, the design and condition of Metro-North's third-rail assembly significantly worsened the damage and fatalities. The NTSB found that the third rail penetrated the lead passenger car and broke apart at splice bars, increasing the number and severity of casualties.

Joe Marino/NY Daily News via GettyThe aftermath of the fiery crash in Feburary 2015.

In 2024 a jury apportioned major fault to Metro-North: 71% liability for the deaths of the five men in the lead car and for injured passengers, and 63% for Brody's death. The jury cited both the engineer's actions and the railroad's oversight of the third-rail system as contributing factors.

Settlement Details

Court records show the bulk of the more than $182 million settlement will be distributed to the families of the five passengers killed in the first car and to injured survivors. The largest individual award—about $79 million—will go to the family of 42-year-old Joseph Nadol, a Harvard graduate and JP Morgan equity analyst who died in the crash. Reports indicate 29 injured survivors will receive settlements ranging from roughly $125,000 up to $8 million.

The estate of Ellen Brody has not yet reached a settlement with Metro-North, and her family continues to pursue claims alleging negligence by the railroad.

Attorney Andrew Maloney: The settlement process should never have taken this long, and the railroad has not fixed the dangerous design problems that contributed to these deaths.

In response, an MTA spokesperson said Metro-North continues to prioritize safety and has worked with the New York State Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration on crossing-safety improvements across the network over the past decade.

Ongoing Concerns

Victims' attorneys argue that feasible safety fixes to the third-rail assembly remain unimplemented and warn that a similar catastrophe could occur unless the railroad makes further changes. The settlement closes many civil claims but leaves broader safety questions and policy debates about rail crossing protection and third-rail design unresolved.