Joshua Pearlstein filed suit in federal court alleging he suffered permanent injuries and incurred significant medical bills from the derailment.
NEWARK -- A Livingston man Monday became the latest victim of the Amtrak derailment last year in Philadelphia to sue over his injuries.
Joshua Pearlstein of Livingston filed the lawsuit in New Jersey federal court, saying he sustained "serious, painful and permanent injuries" during the derailment, which occurred May 12, 2015, in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia.
Pearlstein was a passenger on the Northeast Regional train traveling from Washington to Boston when it derailed.
Eight people died in the crash, which also injured about 200 others.
Pearlstein's complaint also says his injuries required "significant medical treatment," but did not elaborate on the nature of the injuries or what treatment was required.
The suit notes that Amtrak officials already have conceded that the train was traveling in excess of the allowable speed when it derailed.
According to Bloomberg News, Amtrak in court filings has said it will admit liability for compensatory damages, covering wrongful deaths, medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages.
Amtrak may have to shell out more for derailment
Pearlstein's suit also seeks punitive damages to punish Amtrak for its "wanton disregard and reckless indifference" to safety when the derailment occurred.
Investigators said the train accelerated on a section of track where it should have been decelerating, causing the incident. Amtrak has since completed installation of an automatic train control system in the Philadelphia area that, if it had been in place, would have automatically slowed the train. The train was traveling over 100 mph in a section of track where it should have been going no faster than 80 mph.
Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Amtrak over the crash.
The cases are being consolidated and are being assigned to one federal judge in Philadelphia.
Amtrak officials did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.