Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Millions of riders use the CTA trains to travel around Chicago every year. Some use the train system daily to commute to work while others use it only occasionally or even just as tourists during their stay in the city. Most people who use trains in Chicago do not think about a potential accident while they are on board, instead believing that those responsible for the trains will act in a safe and prudent manner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFiN3m64LnQ
But Chicago train accidents happen every year and many of them result in injuries to passengers or others involved in the crash. Some accidents are due to the weather and others are due to negligence on the part of motorists. In some cases, the employees responsible for the train itself bear the blame for a collision occurring. When a train accident leaves a victim with injuries or claims the life of someone involved, the victim or the victim’s surviving family members may be entitled to seek relief for their damages. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer can help you understand whether you have a valid claim after an accident and whether you are entitled to relief.
O’Hare Airport regularly ranks as one of the busiest airports in the nation, often serving more individual planes each year than any other in the country. Many people entering and exiting the airport use public transportation including the CTA’s Blue Line train which ends and beings at the airport. Several platforms allow multiple trains to be located at the station at any time and the platforms end at an area with escalators that take patrons to the airport’s terminal, usually without incident.
This morning, a Blue Line train entering the station at O’Hare derailed and jumped a platform, continuing forward and striking an escalator. The train’s first car scaled a portion of the escalator and pulled the subsequent cars with it, causing a massive collision that left at least 30 people on board injured. Emergency crews and local officials responded to the scene and determined that no one had been trapped underneath the train and at this time, they believe that no one except the train’s passengers were injured. Those on board were assessed and transferred to four area hospitals for treatment with all victims expected to survive.
The incident happened just before 3:00 a.m. and has left the station closed as officials continue to investigate the crash. Buses are being used at this time to transport CTA riders between O’Hare and the next station, Rosemont.It is not yet clear what caused the train to jump the platform but officials suspect that the train may have been traveling at a faster than normal speed as it entered the station, potentially preventing the train from stopping in time to avoid a crash. The cause of the increased speed is not yet known.
If you have been involved in an accident while aboard a train or if a train accident has left you injured, call the Chicago lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. and let us put our experience to work for you. Over the years, we have helped many victims of train accidents recover for their damages and their losses, enabling those victims to financially recover from crashes that were not their faults. We want to help you do the same.
We are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to take your call toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and at Abels & Annes, P.C., we never charge a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf. If you have been hurt, call us today and let us help you.
Prior Blog Entry:
Worker Hurt During Chicago Elevator Repair Job, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published March 21, 2014.
Resource:
More than 30 hurt when Blue Line train jumps platform at O’Hare, by Peter Nickeas, Chicago Tribune, published March 24, 2014.