Editing Eschede train disaster (section)

==Consequences==

===Legal===
Immediately after the accident, Deutsche Bahn paid 30,000 [[Deutsche Mark]]s (about [[US$]]19,000) for each fatality to the applicable families. At a later time Deutsche Bahn settled with some victims. Deutsche Bahn stated that it paid the equivalent of more than 30 million U.S. dollars to survivors and the families of victims.<ref name="Seconds" />{{time needed|date=January 2017}}

In August 2002, two [[Deutsche Bahn]] officials and one engineer were charged with [[manslaughter]]. The case ended in a [[plea bargain]] in April 2003. According to the German code of criminal procedure, if the defendant has not been found to bear substantial guilt, and if the state attorney and the defendant agree, the defendant may pay a fine and the criminal proceedings are dismissed with prejudice and without a verdict. Each engineer paid [[€]]10,000 (around US$12,000).<ref name="Seconds" />{{time needed|date=January 2017}}

[[File:Sollbruchstelle ICE1.jpg|thumb|ICE 1 train window with predetermined breaking point and emergency hammer]]

===Technical===
Within weeks, all wheels of similar design were replaced with [[monobloc wheel]]s. The entire German railway network was checked for similar arrangements of switches close to possible obstacles.

Rescue workers at the crash site experienced considerable difficulties in cutting their way through the train to gain access to the victims. Both the [[aluminium]] framework and the pressure-proof windows offered unexpected resistance to rescue equipment. As a result, all trains were refitted with windows that have breaking seams.