Illinois teen driver survives train collision
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Train Accidents on Sunday, November 25, 2012.
An 18-year-old Illinois driver said she was in a hurry to get the vehicle that she was driving home to her mother when she went under the lowered arm of a train crossing last week. She said that she looked to her left and saw a freight train that she thought was a safe distance away so she proceeded.
She failed to notice the Metra train to her right that plowed into her vehicle. The teen is incredibly lucky to have escaped with just cuts, bruises and multiple citations. Many that are hit by trains do not live to tell of the experience.
While train collisions are far less common than accidents between cars and trucks, Illinois does unfortunately have a high rate of train collisions. This is because unlike the site where this teen was hit, many railroad crossings are unmarked, lacking swing arms or flashing lights. It is incredibly important to obey the warnings of marked crossings because failing to do so could result in more fatal consequences than this teen witnessed.
Victims that are looking to recoup after a train collision must take into consideration unique operation issues, therefore recovering from a collision with a train differs in some respects to individuals looking to recoup financially from other motor vehicle accidents. An experienced attorney can guide an injury victim or a decedent’s family through this process.
When individuals are seriously injured due to a train collision, particularly at an unmarked crossing or where a fatigued railroad employee could be to blame, that victim could stand to pursue financial compensation to cover medical expenses and long-term care costs.
Source: Southtown Star, “Blue Island teen who survived Metra train crash: ‘God was with me,'” Casey Toner, Nov. 20, 2012
- Our firm has experience assisting individuals that have been injured in train collisions in which another party is at fault. For more information, please visit our Illinois railroad accident page.
