Train accidents—specifically involving cars—often result in severe injuries such as paralysis, amputation, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and even death. When you are involved in a train collision, you are entitled to seek compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity.
A Merrillville train accident lawyer from The Law Offices of David W. Holub could fight for justice and the compensation you deserve, enabling you to focus on recovery. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
Common Reasons for Train Accidents
Railroad collisions between trains and cars at a crossing often involve complex investigation of technical and engineering issues such as speed, crossing protection, and sight distance. Railroad accidents often involve serious injuries, including paralysis, amputation, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and death. Victims of train collisions may recover compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity.
There are several reasons for train accidents to occur, including:
- Safety gate failures
- Warning light failures
- People and bikes hit by trains
- Poor training and maintenance
- Errors caused by fatigue, alcohol or drugs
Our Merrillville legal team has access to a network of skilled experts who will help explain how and why an injury occurred so that we can work to obtain fair compensation for our clients following a train accident.
For more specific examples of the areas of law in which we concentrate, the firm has compiled a list of notable cases for your review.
Liability for Train Accident Injuries
Commuter and cargo train accidents can inflict significant bodily harm on motorists, passengers, workers, passersby, and anyone else in the vicinity of these catastrophic events. Train accidents are more prevalent than you might think and commonly involve numerous parties who were negligent.
Negligence occurs when one party has an obligation to adhere to a legal duty of care and fails to do so, leading to the harm of others. For example, a train company owes a passenger a legal duty to exercise the highest standard of care while the passenger is on board. If an incident occurs while the passenger is on the train, the company may be legally liable for a wide range of monetary damages resulting from its dereliction of duty.
There could be several liable parties in a train accident claim, such as railway companies, government entities, and train operators. If a component of the train—like a faulty brake system—malfunctioned and caused an accident, the equipment manufacturer may be legally liable for what happened. Sometimes, a third party, such as a subcontractor, may have engaged in negligent conduct while constructing or maintaining the railway or the train.
When you have been injured in a train accident, The Law Offices of David W. Holub could help you pursue justice if you have been injured in a train accident. The Merrillville attorneys regularly litigate train accident claims on behalf of injured victims and could investigate the cause of the train accident and establish which parties are liable.
Filing a Train Accident Claim
Train accident claims are highly complex and will often require deep knowledge of both state and federal laws. A Merrillville train accident attorney could consult with professionals such as accident reconstructionists and engineers to collect a wide body of evidence to support a specific claim.
These professionals, other expert witnesses, and eyewitnesses can provide testimony that would establish a causal link between the at-fault party’s negligence and the victim’s injuries. Surveillance footage from cameras in the vicinity of the collision, photos, and other forms of visual evidence are all vital evidence in a train accident claim.
Train accidents can result in serious injuries that require long-term medical care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and therapy and may even result in a lasting disability. Therefore, your ability to work may be impacted temporarily or even permanently—in addition to other psychological and emotional harm from the accident. The attorneys at The Law Offices of David W. Holub could leverage extensive resources to strengthen your case and maximize your financial recovery.
Call a Merrillville Train Accident Attorney for Help With Your Claim
After a train collision, the company that owns the train is obligated to investigate how the accident happened, but you need an attorney to put your interests first. A Merrillville train accident lawyer could safeguard your legal rights and determine what claims to file under state or federal law.
Our legal professionals could collect a wide body of evidence to support your claim for compensation, allowing you to leave your recovery as your top priority. We will leave no stone unturned to negotiate a favorable settlement or fight for fair compensation in court. Call us today.
As you look for an attorney, keep in mind that it is important to begin to preserve evidence, as explained in the video below: