Personal Injury Law

Mother Sues City of Chicago for Illinois Wrongful Death After Pedestrian Son Dies in Train Accident

In Cook County Circuit Court, Christine Sanders filed her Illinois wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Chicago, its fire department, and its police department. She is seeking over $100,000 in damages.

Her Chicago complaint contends that her son Mario, who had mental issues, wouldn?t have died if the city and its departments hadn?t failed in their duty to him when they carelessly responded to a 911 call about him, neglected to rescue him in a timely manner, and failed to warn him that there was a train approaching.

Mario was struck by a train on April 8, 2008 after entering the train tracks. Someone made a 911 call to rescue him but he was hit by the train before anyone came.

Some Reasons Why Train-Pedestrian Accidents Happen:
? Trains move at fast speeds
? After stepping on the emergency brakes, trains need to travel a mile before stopping.
? Trains are not as noisy as they used to be, which means someone who isn?t facing the train might not hear the train until it is 100 feet away.
? A train?s width can extend more than three feet outside the train rails.
? Two trains can be traveling next to each other on tracks that are side by side.
? Trains are known to switch directions.
? A train that is approaching may look like it is traveling slower than its actual speed.

That said, a pedestrian may get hurt in a train accident cbecause another party was negligent or careless. It is important that you speak with an experienced Chicago train crash law firm who understands train accidents and how to thoroughly investigate them so that the responsible parties can be held liable for personal injury.

Mother Blames City For Son's 2008 Death, CBS2Chicago.com, April 7, 2009

Related Web Resources:
City of Chicago

Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on April 08, 2009 (boomark / email).