Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Chicago city officials have finally admitted that a dangerous train/road intersection is too risky to remain in place and will be improved this month. The Chicago Tribune reported on the planned changes to the crossings in the Union Pacific Railroad Corridor on Nagle Avenue between Avondale and Northwest Highway.

This particular crossing near the Kennedy Expressway is a high-volume location, presenting many opportunities for car accidents. An earlier report by the Tribune uncovered how this intersection was one of the most dangerous on all of Chicago's roads. The set-up around the road/train track crossing makes it common for cars to build up while waiting for the light in front of them to change. Many vehicles end up getting caught on the tracks, unable to move until the light changes. That means that many drivers find themselves in the predicament of hoping for a light change before a train comes down the line.

A bridge appears to be the ideal way to remove the danger from the railroad crossing. However, the current plan is simply to improve signage, add concrete panels, and a few other smaller changes in the upcoming month. The more expansive measures (like bridge building and improved electronic circuitry) are too expensive for the city.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti encourage all drivers not to take unnecessary risks in order to save time on the road. The potential harm is simply too high to take ones chances while waiting on a live train track. As this report suggest, all across the city there are driving locations that offer particularly high chances of getting in a vehicle accident. It is not possible to eliminate risks of the road completely, but no one should increase that risk unnecessarily.

According to the Daily Herald, a local man was killed last week when his car was struck by a fast moving Metra train.

Authorities explain that the man was driving his vehicle at a high speed last Wednesday while it was raining. As he was coming upon the railroad crossing, the lights were flashing indicating that a train was approaching and that driver's should stop. However, witnesses report that the man ignored the flashing lights and barreled through the intersection anyway.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated and his car struck the front of the Metra train that was traveling through the intersection. The man's vehicle was crushed and began spinning for several seconds. It eventually burst into flames. When authorities arrived at the scene, the vehicle was on its roof and the driver could not be saved.

The tragic accident is an example of how driving risks often compound on one another. Obviously, all train traffic signals should be carefully obeyed. Human perception is often inaccurate, and even when someone believes that they can make it without getting hit, they are often wrong. In this case, witnesses also noticed that the man was driving way too fast for the conditions, indicating that he may likely have been unable to stop in time to obey the warning signal. Two driving risks, speeding and disobeying signals, combined to cause the deadly accident.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti offer condolences to all those suffering after this accident. Crash crashes leave devastated family and friends in their wake. Occasionally they are caused by completely accidental circumstances, at other times by driving mistakes. In all cases, however, countless victims suffer enduring emotional and physical pain.

If you have been connected to any car accident, feel free to contact our offices to learn more about your potential legal rights.

Two women were killed in a fatal train accident that occurred on July 23rd when their car went around the crossing gates which were down at the time of the crash, crossed over the train tracks and was struck by a passing train. In addition to the two women that were in the car at the time of the accident, two other people involved in the accident suffered personal injuries as well. Both young women that were killed in the accident were killed by multiple blunt force trauma, and according to the Post-Tribune, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Following the tragic train accident, the train which was involved in the accident was suspended indefinitely. To read more about this train accident, please click on this link.

Illinois injury attorneys remind drivers that they should never try to cross train tracks when the crossing gate are down, even if you think you have time to make it across safely. Often times trains are moving so quickly that even though you may not see it approaching, and therefore believe you have time to cross before it arrives, it is usually moving at high enough speeds that it can approach the crossing much more quickly than you may have imagined. As seen in this accident, it is difficult to judge when the train will arrive at the crossing exactly, and it is always better to be safe than sorry in these types of situation, so please always wait for the train to cross when you come across a train crossing where the gates are down.

A fatal train accident occurred on April 16th in which a Chicago woman’s car was struck by an Amtrak train and she was killed. Upon investigation it was discovered that the trains warning system (to alert drivers when a train is approaching) was not properly reconnected after the track had been worked on. Unfortunately, this meant that there was no adequate warning for the young woman whose car was struck to let her know the train was coming and to keep her from crossing. According to Chicago Breaking News, after the repair work was done on the tracks, the workers thought they had appropriately hooked the warning system back up but unfortunately had not causing the warning system to not go into effect with an approaching train. To read more about this tragic accident, please click on this link.

While this accident was a result of human error on the part of the train workers, it is important for all drivers to be very cautious when driving over train tracks. If there are safety alerts telling you a train is approaching, never try to cross even if you cannot see the train. Trains travel at very fast speeds and can approach much quicker than you may realize and could be very close even if you can not see it from the intersection. If you are at a train track and the warning systems are not activated but you can see or hear a train nearby wait anyway just to be safe. If you are ever not sure if it is safe to go at that time, in order to avoid a car accident, please err on the side of caution.

On December 10, a man was killed when his SUV was struck by a westbound Metra train in suburban Chicago. The train accident occurred when the man’s vehicle stopped on the Metra tracks. The victim’s wife escaped the SUV, but he did not make it out in time and the impact of the collision killed him. A report in the Chicago Tribune did not say why the man’s car was stopped on the train tracks. The Chicago commuter train's service was delayed by three hours as emergency workers cleared the accident. Read the full account of this Chicago Metra accident by following the link.

Three people were killed when a truck struck a vehicle in the evening of June 13th. There were five people in the car, three were pronounced dead at the scene and two were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their personal injuries. The condition of the hospitalized is unknown at this point. The car accident occurred at the railroad intersection where the vehicle was crossing the tracks. For more information on this car accident, click here.

Two men were caught under a Metra train in Chicago on June 30th. The train accident occurred when the two men attempted to cross the tracks as the crossing gates were coming down. The train tried to stop to avoid them, but in its sudden stop it ended up pinning them under the train. One of the victims that was pinned in this pedestrian accident was killed as a result of the personal injuries he sustained and the other victim was seriously injured. The first victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the second victim was taken to a local hospital where he is listed in serious to critical condition. For more information on this train accident, click here.

On the night of June 19th, a train derailed in Rockford, Illinois that filled many cars with highly flammable gas and led 14 of the cars to explode. This train accident involved vehicles in some manner but the details of the role of the vehicles are unclear, as well as the cause of the train accident. Three people that were stopped at a train crossing were suffered burns and one woman was killed, but the cause of her death is not known. Many homes in the area were evacuated as a result of the train derailment and subsequent fires. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

At least one person has been fatally injured when an Amtrak train on its way to Chicago hit a car, which was on the train tracks. Initial reports show that there were two fatalities, but at this point only one is confirmed. The fatal accident occurred in the afternoon of June 18th and no one aboard the train was injured. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is known at this point. For more information on this Illinois train accident, click here.

A person was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering personal injuries in a Chicago car crash. The person was injured when the car they were riding in collided with a train traveling on the Norfolk & Western lines in Southwest Chicago. A report on Chicago Breaking News does not reveal what caused the car accident to happen. There were no other injuries reported in the crash. Read more about this Chicago train accident.

A train accident has caused the death of a 62-year-old woman who was hit by a train at a railroad crossing. No one was injured aboard the CSX freight train, bound for Chicago. The car accident occurred just west of Pittsburgh. Read more about this train accident.

Chicago’s train system has been riddled with difficulties lately including car accidents, truck crashes, pedestrian accidents, security issues, and derailments. Another derailment that occurred this morning will affect 5000 passengers. The 72-car freight train from Canada derailed in Buffalo Grove, Illinois on its way to Chicago. Two of the cars were holding a hazardous and toxic material, sulfur, but is not dangerous, according to a spokesperson. No injuries were caused by the derailment. For the full story, click here.

An Amtrak train derailed while departing Chicago’s Union Station. The train accident involved an Amtrak Southwest Chief train had 116 passengers aboard. At least one person was personally injured. The train consisted of eight cars and two locomotives, and it was the two cars in the middle of the train that derailed. The cause of the train accident is unclear. “Replacement” coaches were attached to the front portion of the train after the train accident. The train derailment caused major delays on the Metra trains. To read the full story, click here.

A Chicago train accident has lead to a train accident fatality. A Chicago car accident is to blame for the driver’s death and for Chicago train delays. The accident was alleged to have occurred because a negligent car driver drove through a railroad gate and into the train’s path. The train hit the car causing the car driver’s death. Luckily there were no passengers injured on the train and the car had no passengers. It is likely an investigation will look into possible car defects to rule out the cause of the car and train accident. There is no news yet if a wrongful death lawsuit will be filed against the train company. To read more about this tragic Chicago accident click here.

Metra trains were temporarily halted in the Chicago west suburbs after a freight train struck a vehicle and killed its 91-year-old driver. The line runs between Aurora and Chicago’s Union Station stopped after the collision near Cass and Burlington Avenues in Westmont. The man was killed in the train accident when the train slammed into his silver sedan on the tracks. His car was dragged down the tracks past the Westmont passenger platform in the train crash. Trains began operating approximately two hours after, but many were delayed following the train accident. While the investigation continues, no wrongful death lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

In the span of only three days there have been two Chicago, Illinois CTA related deaths. In what initially may have been thought of as freak accidents there is an alarming trend with deaths and personal injuries from Chicago, Illinois Chicago Transit Authority transportation. Protections, either in the form of emergency shut-off devices for trains or extra security guards, need to be put in place near CTA “L” stops to prevent accidents. The first accident occurred Monday on the CTA blue line. The most recent accident occurred yesterday on the CTA red line. In both CTA “L” train accidents the pedestrians were killed. Investigations continue into both CTA train car accidents. In addition to Chicago, Illinois trains other forms of public transit are also under scrutiny. In recent weeks Chicago, Illinois PACE buses which provide transportation to Chicago, Illinois suburbs have also been in the spotlight due to a PACE bus accident which injured four pedestrians. Additionally, Chicago Metra trains which provide service within Chicago and to the suburbs have also been under attack. Train accidents have occurred both at train and car intersection accidents, train accidents hitting pedestrians and one train accident caused death and injury to a rider on the train. As gas prices soar in Chicago, Illinois, residents are using public transportation as an alternative to personal cars. Despite the financial savings from the public transit system residents may be willing to put more cash into the pump rather than ride on the Chicago, Illinois, CTA, PACE, or Metra due to the increasing number of accidents. Negligent bus drivers, Negligent CTA operators and negligent Metra conductors may deter residents from using public transit and opting instead to use cars even though fuel prices are high. CTA has not made any official statement regarding the recent wave of CTA related deaths but it is expected that a press release will soon be made public. As Chicago, Illinois residents remain puzzled about the unexpected CTA deaths one thing is sure safety measures need to be increased to prevent more innocent pedestrians, riders and travelers from experiencing personal injuries and death. To read about the most recent CTA red line train accident click here.

Monday evening, a car filled with the driver and 2 passengers drove around a railroad warning gate and was struck by the crossing freight train. The train, traveling from Chicago, Illinois, hit the Ford Taurus in the early evening at a crossing which has gates, lights, and flashers. After ignoring both the warning gate and lights, as well as the train’s horn, the driver drove onto the tracks resulting in the accident in which the car was pushed approximately 175 feet. The passengers were ejected, but the driver became trapped in the car; all three died from the automobile accident. The crew of the train were uninjured. The families of the two passengers may have a wrongful death claim against the driver for negligently crossing the warning gates. Read more here.

Another CTA accident occurred in Chicago, Illinois where a car crashed into a CTA “L” platform. The car exploded and the woman suffered severe burn injuries and was not able to survive the car accident. Two other men who were in the car accident suffered serious injuries and were taken to the hospital. CTA accidents have occurred in large numbers in recent weeks. Previously a car hitting an “L” platform caused personal injuries and death to a woman who was near a Chicago, Illinois Red Line station. To read the story and see a map of where the accident occurred, click here.

The Chicago, Illinois suburb of Palatine became the sight of the most recent train accident involving a Metra train and a car. The car’s negligent driver was given a citation for failing to move from the train tracks. Luckily the mixture of the location of the car on train tracks did not result in any fatal car crash or any serious personal injuries. The driver of the car was responsible for causing a train schedule delay. Metra train accidents are often blamed on the conductor but in this case it seems the negligent car driver was at fault. To see the full story click here.

Four teens were injured and one killed when a train crashed into their vehicle in 2006. Since then, investigations of the train accident have led to lawsuits filed by and against many different personal injury attorneys. The teens and their families are suing the city in which the accident happened and the company that owned the train and the tracks under the allegations that the tracks were unsafe. The driver and the owners of the car are being sued based on claims of reckless driving. Reasons being cited as to how the town and train company failed to make the crossing safe and other allegations cited by attorneys include allowing a stop sign to be hidden behind brush, reducing motorists' visibility; that the train was speeding excessively, failed to sound a horn and was staffed by unskilled workers; that the failure to create barriers to prevent cars from crossing the tracks when dangerous was negligent; and that the driver of the automobile failed to maintain control of the car, allowing it to be stuck on the tracks, where she then failed to unlock the doors. In addition to the teen that was ejected from the vehicle and killed, other injuries include knee injuries, spleen lacerations and pelvic, rib, jaw, and tooth fractures.

Click here for the full article