On behalf of Strom & Associates, Ltd. posted in Mass Transit Accidents on Wednesday, December 4, 2013.
Scores of Chicago residents use light rail transportation every day for their business and personal travel. Those riders believe they are generally secure while aboard the public transit vehicles, but that may not be the case. Even commuter trains can prove dangerous when they are not properly managed, as evidenced by a recent East Coast train accident that left several victims dead and dozens other injured. Public transportation officials say the investigation is ongoing.
Official reports show that four people died in the early-morning wreck on the New York City commuter train, which derailed on Dec. 1. More than 60 other passengers were injured in the wreck, which occurred when the train derailed, possibly because of excessive speed. All seven of the train’s cars had derailed, along with the locomotive. This was the first fatal accident associated with the Metro-North system, according to news reports.
Passengers reported a horrific scene with screaming, shattered windows and even small fires. Several were dozing when the accident occurred at about 7:20 a.m., and they awoke to their train compartments toppling over. Passengers report thinking that the train was going too fast when it approached a sharp curve on the tracks, and local residents were startled by the noise that accompanied the violent wreck. Many thought a plane had crashed in the area.
Experts postulate that additional safety measures might have prevented the wreck. A rail-safety law designed to prevent such a fatal mass transit accident requires all railroad companies to install specialized speed control systems by the end of 2015. This train had not yet been outfitted with the technology, which experts say would prevent about 40 percent of the nation’s train wrecks.
Victims and their families, in this case, may be able to recover damages from the company that operates the train system. Those victims could recover compensation for wrongful death, medical bills, emotional distress and a variety of other claims. Victims of mass transit accidents do not have to suffer in silence; instead, they can trust a qualified Illinois personal injury attorney to help them get the money they need and deserve.
Source: www.wistv.com, “NYC train derailment kills 4, hurts more than 60” Verena Dobnik & Deepti Hajela, Dec. 01, 2013
