Personal Injury Law

Train crossing collision in St. Louis kills pregnant mother

By Steve Lombardi

A pregnant mother, Heather Sheree Balven, from the St. Louis area (Hartford) was killed when a train struck the pickup truck she was driving. Well liked her fellow workers, she was a geotechnical engineer who was working at the time of the collision. She did soil testing at a pipeline construction site. She was 31-years old and had a two-year-old toddler at home. She was noted to be familiar with this railroad crossing.

There have be a few fathers and mothers out there with questions about what would happen to the children. In Iowa, which is probably different than Missouri, the husband and child would be paid workers' compensation benefits. The husband would receive benefits for life, the children for their minority and if they attended college, for four more years. The husband would also check in with the Social Security Administration, his local SSA office, and apply for death benefits, which may or may not apply.

The husband of course should see a lawyer in the St. Louis area who is familiar with train crossing safety litigation to evaluate the site-distances and other potential issues. Apparently this is a difficult crossing with site-distance issues involving the farthest rails.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiYOfOiK4YU&feature=related

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on March 14, 2009 (boomark / email).