In May 2008, a court in Osnabrück concluded that the tragedy was caused by a chain of human errors, including the failure to set an electronic braking system that would have prevented the train from operating while maintenance work was being carried out. Two staff members were found guilty on 23 counts of manslaughter and 11 counts of causing negligent injury and were fined 24,000 and 20,000 euros respectively. The line dispatcher who radioed the clearance to the maglev train was unable to take part in the trial because of suicide fears.
In May 2008, a court in Osnabrück concluded that the tragedy was caused by a chain of human errors, including the failure to activate an electronic braking system during maintenance work. Two employees were found guilty on charges related to manslaughter and negligent injury, and they were fined €24,000 and €20,000 respectively. The train dispatcher who authorized the train's movement was unable to participate in the trial due to fears of suicide.