Personal Injury Blog

Victims Begin Process of Claims in Metrolink Train Crash

August 19th, 2011
Metrolink Train Crash

More than 100 people were injured when the Metrolink train crashed head-on into a freight train

The process of dividing the $200 million settlement to families of people killed in the Los Angeles Metrolink train crash as well as the survivors of the crash, has begun.  More than 100 people were injured when the Metrolink train crashed head-on into a freight train in 2008.  At least two of the people who were injured presented their claim for a judge in Los Angeles last week.  The victims are calling upon the judge to divide the $200 million settlement among the families of the 25 victims of the crash, as well as the people who were injured.

The accident occurred on September 12, 2008 when the Metrolink train crashed into a Union Pacific freight train near Chatsworth, Los Angeles.  Investigations into the crash have since revealed that the engineer of the Metrolink train, Robert Sanchez had been distracted at the time, and ran a red light, causing the train to end up on the same tracks as the freight train.  The impact of the crash was deadly, especially for the passengers who were in the front cars.  Most of these people either died, or suffered devastating injuries, including spinal cord injuries and brain injuries.

Investigations into the crash and analysis of cell phone records revealed that Sanchez has sent and received several text messages in the seconds leading up to the crash.  He had been texting with a younger rail fan, and had probably caused him to miss the red light.  In fact, it was the Metrolink train crash of 2008 that really brought into focus the dangers to passengers from train operators and conductors who were distracted while driving.  Soon after, Metrolink imposed a ban on cell phone use while driving for all its operators and conductors.  The agency has also established surveillance video camera recording systems in all trains.

There is no doubt that Metrolink has tried hard to better its safety standards on its train network since the Chatsworth crash.  However, for the families who lost loved ones on that terrible day, and those who were injured, the repercussions of the crash continue to linger on.  In many cases, those who died were the sole breadwinner of the family, and the families have faced severe financial hardship and an uncertain future.  For those were injured, the months since the crash have been a nightmare.  Many of these people sustained several injuries, when the locomotive of the freight train crashed through the front cars, ending up right inside.  Some of these injured passengers have had to deal with multiple surgeries, severe pain and immobility, and an uncertain future that is full of pain and reduced possibilities.

Making matters worse for these passengers is that Metrolink chose to hide behind a $200 million liability cap that protects the agency from damages in excess of $200 million in case of an accident.  This crash resulted in more than 100 people with serious injuries and more than 25 families with wrongful death claims.  Los Angeles train accident lawyers have spoken out against the injustice to victims from liability caps like these.

 

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