Train Accident

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Train Accident

Due to a train’s massive size, even the most minor error can cause a catastrophe. Train accidents can result in life-changing injuries, and, often, death. Following such an accident, hospital bills and other expenses can pile up, and it can be difficult to know what your next step should be. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a train accident, contact an experienced attorney today.

Train Accident Statistics

While car accidents are much more common, more than 2,000 train accidents happen every year, resulting in nearly 300 deaths and over 800 injuries. According to the National Traffic Highway Safety Association, motorists are 20 times more likely to die in a train-involved accident than a collision involving another motor vehicle. Collisions at railroad crossings occur the most frequently, and 38 percent of all train accidents occur due to negligence, human error, and track issues.

Types of Train Accidents

Railroad Crossing Accidents

These types of accidents can be caused by many different things. Below are a few examples:

  • Defective signals and/or gates
  • Trains failing to sound their horns when approaching crossings
  • Trains failing to use their lights when approaching crossings
  • Trains parking too close to a crossing
  • Objects protruding from a train

Derailment Accidents

Train derailments usually happen due to faulty equipment. Here are some common scenarios that lead to train derailments:

  • Faulty tracks
  • Faulty equipment
  • Too much cargo
  • Obstacles on the tracks

Illinois Time Limits on Filing Suit

Illinois sets a time limit of two years to file a personal injury lawsuit in the state’s civil court system. In most cases, this two-year time limit, known as a “statute of limitations,” begins to run on the date of the accident. Sometimes, however, a statute of limitations might run from the date that you discovered you were injured, rather than the date of the event that injured you. This later date is known as a “discovery date.”

For injury claims against a city or county, you have one year to file a lawsuit. The time limit to sue the state is generally two years, but you must file a formal claim within one year in order to sue.

A qualified personal injury attorney can help guide you through this difficult time and alleviate some of the stress.

Contact a Lawyer You Can Trust

If you or a loved one has been injured or involved in a train accident, we are here to help. For a confidential, compassionate, in-depth, free, and, most importantly, thorough consultation with a Rockford Personal Injury Lawyer about your train-related accident injury case in Rockford, Belvidere, Freeport, Rochelle, Oregon, Loves Park, Byron, Machesney Park, Roscoe, Rockton, or elsewhere in the State of Illinois, call or text message us at (815) 391-0089, or e-mail us 24/7/365. We offer in-office consultations, and routinely make visits to clients’ homes, hospital rooms, nursing homes, and other off-site locations to make retaining our services as easy as possible.

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