A few years ago, Glendale, California experienced one of the worst railroad accidents in the history of the state.
A man wanting to commit suicide parked his car onto the railroad tracks of a commuter train.
After that he set the car on fire.
An oncoming train hit the car resulting in a collision that killed 11 people and injured 180 others.
What legal recourse was given for the victims of that accident? Well, shortly after the incident occurred, over 100 lawsuits were filed.
The plaintiffs in the cases were the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation authority and Metrolink.
If they lose, they would have to pay the victims millions of dollars.
Now, nothing has been solidified in terms of payments, but the litigants do stand a good chance at winning.
In addition, their legal fight has helped put a face on something that is often ignored: victims' rights in railroad accidents.
This is very important because every year the U.
S.
experiences over 600 railroad accidents.
These accidents occur more in industrial situations where freight trains are used, but there are also incidents of problems with commuter trains.
Either way, the results can be very tragic.
If people aren't killed or injured in these accidents, the train might release hazardous materials, which results in a host of secondary problems for people in the area.
So, what can a person do if they are a victim of a train accident? Their best bet is going to a qualified personal injury attorney.
If the case is highly publicized, (like what happened with the Glendale accident), attorneys are more likely to work on a contingency basis.
This means that a client is not expected to pay unless they win.
If a personal injury attorney does not accept a contingency agreement, clients may have to pay a retainer fee for their services.
The rest of the fee would need to be paid after the services are rendered, though there are attorneys that will accept timed payments.
There are even a few that may not require a retainer, though these tend to be harder to find.
All in all, even though the situation in Glendale was extremely tragic, perhaps it may help others realize that they do have legal options.
True, not every personal injury case will win, but it still helps makes victims feel empowered.
They feel good knowing that at least they tried to make a stand.
A man wanting to commit suicide parked his car onto the railroad tracks of a commuter train.
After that he set the car on fire.
An oncoming train hit the car resulting in a collision that killed 11 people and injured 180 others.
What legal recourse was given for the victims of that accident? Well, shortly after the incident occurred, over 100 lawsuits were filed.
The plaintiffs in the cases were the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation authority and Metrolink.
If they lose, they would have to pay the victims millions of dollars.
Now, nothing has been solidified in terms of payments, but the litigants do stand a good chance at winning.
In addition, their legal fight has helped put a face on something that is often ignored: victims' rights in railroad accidents.
This is very important because every year the U.
S.
experiences over 600 railroad accidents.
These accidents occur more in industrial situations where freight trains are used, but there are also incidents of problems with commuter trains.
Either way, the results can be very tragic.
If people aren't killed or injured in these accidents, the train might release hazardous materials, which results in a host of secondary problems for people in the area.
So, what can a person do if they are a victim of a train accident? Their best bet is going to a qualified personal injury attorney.
If the case is highly publicized, (like what happened with the Glendale accident), attorneys are more likely to work on a contingency basis.
This means that a client is not expected to pay unless they win.
If a personal injury attorney does not accept a contingency agreement, clients may have to pay a retainer fee for their services.
The rest of the fee would need to be paid after the services are rendered, though there are attorneys that will accept timed payments.
There are even a few that may not require a retainer, though these tend to be harder to find.
All in all, even though the situation in Glendale was extremely tragic, perhaps it may help others realize that they do have legal options.
True, not every personal injury case will win, but it still helps makes victims feel empowered.
They feel good knowing that at least they tried to make a stand.