The most recent in a round of settlements reached following a 2005 Metra train derailment have resulted in $1.45 million to Catherine Kozi-O’Donnell, a woman who sustained injuries in the Illinois train accident. The Joliet resident’s leg was badly broken during the train accident and required knee replacement surgery. Earlier…
Articles Posted in Train Accidents
Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Duty as Common Carrier Evaluated By Illinois Supreme Court Regarding Removal of Ice from Train Platform – Krywin v. Chicago Transit Authority
The Illinois Supreme Court evaluated a Chicago personal injury case involving a slip in fall accident on a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) platform. The issue in the case was whether the CTA, as a common carrier, owed a duty to protect its passengers from a natural accumulation of ice on…
Chicago Train Derailment Personal Injury Claim Settled for 2 Million
A Chicago train accident case was recently settled on behalf of one of the passengers injured in the 2005 train derailment. The Metra train was operated by Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, who has agreed to pay the plaintiff $2 million for the injuries he sustained as a result…
CTA Red Line Train Fire Injuries Include Smoke Inhalation and Respiratory Problems
Late yesterday afternoon a fire developed on Chicago’s Red Line train, halting traffic and forcing 19 passengers to the hospital. Five people were reported to have suffered serious injuries, including a 10 year-old boy who was observed overnight at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital. Firefighters were investigating the cause of the…
Cook County Personal Injury Claim for Fall at Metra Train Station Denied By Court: Illinois Tort Immunity Act Does Not Apply to Non-Train Passengers
A recent Cook County personal injury lawsuit examined the degree of care a railroad owes to its passengers. The Illinois personal injury case was brought by a commuter who alleged a dangerous condition at an Illinois Metra train station caused his injuries. Pence v. Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter RR Corp.,…
Illinois Railroad Injury Verdict: FELA Claims Are Different Than Workers’ Compensation Claims
A recent Illinois jury verdict against a railroad company illustrates the difference between Federal Employee Liability Act (FELA) claims and Illinois workers’ compensation claims. The plaintiff was a railroad conductor who suffered severe injuries after being run over by a railroad car while working. As a result of the Illinois…
Chicago Man Receives Verdict Against Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for Psychological Injury
On July 11, 2006, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) subway train caught fire and derailed during the evening rush hour. After the Chicago Blue Line train derailed, passengers were forced to exit the subway train cars and make their way to the surface. Many CTA riders were taken to nearby…
Illinois Metra Train Accident Results in 5 Million Verdict to Widow of Legally Blind Man
An Illinois wrongful death case was recently tried and found in favor of the decedent’s widow, who was awarded $5 million by the Cook County jury. The verdict was against Metra and found the Chicago-based railroad liable for the Illinois train accident that caused the decedent’s death. On the day…
Illinois Commuter Train Derailment Results in New Speed Limits
While speeding in any vehicle is never a good idea, for trains it can have disastrous consequences. Train speed limits are posted for a reason and can vary based on weather, track condition, or the length of the train. When these speed limits are ignored it can result in deadly…
Chicago Metra Train Death Results in 5 Million Illinois Jury Verdict
A recent Cook County jury verdict is a reminder of the dangers of railroad crossings and of Illinois train accidents. $5 million was awarded to the surviving family members of a 60 year-old man who was killed when his car was struck by a Metra train at a Chicago railroad…