Whether the bridge was inspectable and safe for everyday train traffic might never be known ... As the bridge was totaly destroyed in the calamity of the impact of 28 railcars derailing at high speed, on possibly warped track (sun kinking).
There were crossovers and several turnouts on the one side of the bridge, which also may have caused a wheel to pick a switch, and derail, causing a unstoppable chain reaction derailment.
I very much doubt that in the seconds right after the derailment, that the bridge was still standing, holding up the 28 derailed railcars, then collapsed ... As most probably in the nano-seconds after the first wheel derailed, the safe/unsafe bridge was ripped to shreads by the impact of 28 railcars violently accordianing together.
No bridge whether it was safe or not ... could withstand that impact of millions of tons of derailing loaded railcars.
I don't think the bridge collaped at all by the weight of a passing train ... for the intact safe bridge was surely torn to smitherines by the crushing aftermath of a catastropic derailment.
And too ... unsafe train braking, and rapid draft gear run in could have caused the train to derail just prior the safe bridge, or to derail directly on top of the safe bridge.
Alot of evidence is now burried under millions of tons of temporary track gravel reinforcment ballast support.
How is it ever going to be proven that it was the fault of the "Poor" bridge ? Violent derailments occur everywhere, as many as 90 per day, everyday, 365 days per year, in the US (most of them minor unreportable derailments, to some more rare major reportable derailments).
None the less, UP will be paying for the wrongful deaths in the lawsuit, as it was their train, their RR, and their bridge.
The members of the traincrew are most likely fired on the spot, and blackballed from railroad re-employment ... and could be charged with involutary manslaughter ... just like any other vehicle driver can be charged, and or sentenced to prison/probation.
