Train Accidents

Clifford Law Offices filed a lawsuit on September 18, 2024, against Union Pacific Railroad Company, Metra Railroad, and the Village of Barrington in the death of a 17-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a train at a Barrington, Illinois railroad crossing without pedestrian gates. James Pullos, Kristofer Riddle, and Joseph Murphy, partners at Clifford Law Offices, filed the case on behalf of the family of Marin Lacson in the January 25, 2024, death…

The Chicago CTA announced that the Yellow Line is opening Friday, January 5, 2024, for service following the November 16 crash of a speeding train into equipment on the track. Clifford Law Offices has filed lawsuits against the CTA on behalf of six of the dozens injured. “Clifford Law Offices is conducting its own investigation to figure out exactly what happened regarding the Yellow Line crash in November. The NTSB concluded that the conductor was…

On November 17, 2023, Clifford Law Offices filed a second lawsuit against the Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA) in the crash of a commuter train that occurred on the Yellow Line the morning of Thursday, November 16. Joseph T. Murphy, partner at Clifford Law Offices, filed the case on behalf of Matt Jones, 67, an architect from Skokie, who was taken by ambulance to a local hospital following the crash that injured 37 others, some critically….

Clifford Law Offices filed the first lawsuit against the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in the crash of a commuter train on the Yellow Line that occurred on the morning of November 16, 2023. Joseph T. Murphy, partner at Clifford Law Offices, filed the case on behalf of Cleon Hawkins, 52, of Chicago, who was taken by ambulance to a local hospital following the crash that reportedly injured 37 others, some critically. “This type of crash…

In a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), federal investigators identified multiple preventable factors that contributed to the derailment of an Amtrak passenger train near Joplin, MT on September 25, 2021. Investigators say the incident, which killed three people and seriously injured dozens, was caused by poor track conditions at the accident site. According to the report, the tracks, owned by BNSF, showed worn rail, vertical track deflection, instability, and track misalignment. The…

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from East Palestine, Ohio following the fiery derailment and crash of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials on February 3, 2023. The 100-car freight train that derailed February 3 was carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene and butyl acrylate, the US Environmental Protection Agency told CNN. Michael Graham, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told AP News that 14…

Train accidents can be fatal events that can leave dozens of people seriously injured from a single incident such as a car derailment. Injuries suffered in train-related incidents are often catastrophic and can have life-changing impacts on both the passengers involved and their families. When the negligence of employees or a train company interferes with the safety and livelihood of passengers, it is important for justice to be served and for those liable to be…

A family from Kansas aboard the Amtrak train that derailed Monday, June 27, 2022 in rural Missouri is among those who will be filing lawsuits against the train company as well as the company that owned the dump truck hauling rock that blocked the tracks. The family, who was taken to a hospital for their injuries, contacted Clifford Law Offices to help them find out what happened early Monday afternoon when the passenger Amtrak Southwest…

Every four hours, someone is hit by a train in America. These accidents are tragically more common than many think, especially in Chicago, where trains are essential to daily lives. Illinois is ranked 2nd in the country for the most highway-rail crossings, totaling over 14,000. Consequently, it has also led us to be one of the most dangerous states in the nation for fatal railroad incidents. If you were injured in a train accident, you…