Train accidents are not simply limited to being struck by the train. There are many possible ways that you can get hurt both inside and outside of the train, and if there are any problems that contribute to your injuries, you could sue the liable party for compensation. We will make sure that you are fully covered. At Normandie Law Firm, you will be connected with an experienced lawyer for train accident lawsuits who has spent years handling such claims. You’ll be in the best hands available by coming to our Los Angeles office for assistance with your train accident claim.
Train Accident Information
Although trains have been used as a primary mode of transportation for decades, there are still risks present with them. It is almost equally as dangerous to be near a train as it is to be near a car; in fact, at times it can be more dangerous because of the greatly diminished stopping power of a train. There are dozens of cases where cars stalled on train tracks or became disabled after their tires got stuck or popped, only for a train to rush by soon thereafter and cause an accident. Some people have been hit by runaway trains and others have gotten hurt while inside. Some of the accidents include:
- Slip and fall: A slip and fall accident on a train may occur when the train lurches forward and the victim does not have the ability to hold onto anything for leverage. It can also happen if there were any spills on the train floor that were not cleaned up by staff or if there are any cracks or holes in the floor.
- Luggage and suitcase injuries: Many people on the train will place their luggage atop the luggage racks or let their suitcases rest on the floor. The sudden stops can dislodge these items and cause them to tumble down, which may land on heads and cause unconsciousness, concussions, sprains, and more.
- Derailed trains: Trains generally operate smoothly, but there are times when tracks switch where the train will derail and cause great damage to everything surrounding it, including the environment, structures, and individuals nearby.
- Crossing accidents: Some railroad crossings may not deploy the barricades in time or flash the warning signs. These symbols are generally able to keep pedestrians and vehicles away from the tracks. However, if these warnings don’t go off, people may proceed as normal through them, leading to accidents.
If you wish to take legal action, speak with a lawyer for victims of train derailing and train accidents. We will help you sue for a train accident if you were injured. The responsible party will be held liable and your expenses can be paid off.
Possible Injuries from a Locomotive Accident
Railroad accidents can cause numerous types of injuries, some of which may be permanent or even fatal. The nature of the accident and injury will likely determine the worth of your case. Accident reconstruction work can be used to showcase the accuracy of your claim of how you were hurt.
Some of the injuries we have seen from train accidents include:
- Neck and spinal cord injuries
- Closed head injuries
- Brain damage and traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions and altered cognitive states
- Slipped or herniated discs
- Broken bones and fractures
- Sprains and strains
- Lacerations and abrasions
- Dislocations
- Severed limbs
- Coma
- Paralysis
- Death
Many of the individuals who are hit by a train are not expected to live. A train wrongful death lawyer can help your family deal with the repercussions if a loved one died from an accident involving a train.
How to Sue for a Train Injury
You can take legal action against the responsible party if you can show that you were owed a duty of care. A personal injury lawsuit can be filed if you were a customer on a train or if the train was not supposed to be dangerous. The four points of negligence are as follows: you were owed a duty of care that was violated, and the breach of duty led to an accident that caused physical injuries.
If the train is a part of public transit, you may be able to sue the city for its role in the accident. The train may not have been properly maintained in years or there may have been defects that were not caught. No matter what the case, the city would be held responsible.
A train accident lawyer at Normandie Law Firm can help you prepare your lawsuit, gather your evidence, and take legal action against the responsible entity.
Restitution from a Train Accident
Train accident victims can receive various amounts and types of compensation for their injuries, especially if the injuries were particularly severe or if the train company were particularly negligent. With the help of our Los Angeles train accident lawyers, we can help bring you the following:
- Coverage of medical expenses, including surgery, hospitalization, ambulatory transportation, physical therapy, medication, and any future medical procedures that you need to heal
- Lost wages from missed or absent days at work, as well as future lost wages because of medical treatment and time spent healing or recovering
- Property damage for any personal belongings that were lost or broken in the incident
- Emotional pain and suffering damages that cover PTSD, anxiety, mental scarring, fear, psychological trauma, and more
- Wrongful death expenses, such as pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering damages, funeral and burial fees, loss of expected savings and inheritance, loss of consortium, and much more
You should receive the maximum financial recovery if you were hurt as a passenger inside a train. All pedestrians and bystanders, drivers and passengers of other vehicles, railroad workers, and train passengers should be compensated for their injuries if the accident were a result of the negligent action of another party. You could use the assistance of a wrongful death lawyer for train accidents to help you move forward.
In some cases, numerous parties were injured in an accident. This creates the opportunity for a train crash class action lawsuit in which multiple plaintiffs can take action against the train company to pursue compensation. There will likely be more evidence to be used, but the issue comes in the form of the compensation – the settlement will be shared among many plaintiffs, so it will likely be much smaller than if you took action yourself. However, it is also a more likely success because of the abundance of evidence.
Speak with an attorney with experience in train injury cases for more direction on what kind of lawsuit you should file.
Deadline to File a Train Accident Lawsuit
You only have two years from the date of the damage to sue for a train collision accident injury. If you do not sue the responsible party or take out a claim in that amount of time, you will be barred from pursuing compensation in the future. This statute is in place to ensure that claims are handled efficiently and quickly; the longer they sit, the more likely it is that key evidence and witnesses’ memories will be corrupted or mistaken.
You may be able to have the statute of limitations extended to more than 2 years if certain circumstances apply. Common exceptions include the mental or physical incapacity to take legal action, being underage at the time of the incident, or the defendant leaving the state.
Further, if you intend to file a lawsuit against the city for a subway accident or public transit accident, you have a decreased time limit – only 6 months from the date of the injury.
Talk with a train crash attorney in Los Angeles to determine how much time you have left to file a claim. We will make sure that all of your documents will be filed on time.
Why Choose Normandie Law Firm
If you are in need of a California train injury law firm, look no further than Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles. Our expert attorneys have years of experience handling train accident claims and we will be able to secure you the fairest restitution for our injuries. We will aggressively ursue your rightful damages, and we will negotiate with the insurance agency until we are satisfied with the result. If we do not receive one, we are willing to take your case to court to prove that you deserve justice.
Give our firm a call today to set up a free legal consultation with a qualified lawyer. If you have specific questions or you want to know more about the legal process, we’ll answer them and tell you how much we believe your case is worth. We will also tell you more about our zero fee guarantee, which promises that you won’t have to pay a single penny of your own money for our services. We won’t get paid until and unless we win, and the fees will be taken care of by the settlement we bring you. If we lose, you’re off the hook.
To speak with a train injury attorney in Los Angeles, contact Normandie Law Firm today.
