Railroad Accidents and Injuries Due to Negligence

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Railroad Accidents and Injuries Due to Negligence

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

On September 7th, 1893 in a small town near Chicago, twelve lives were lost, and a score of other individuals were seriously injured due to a significant railroad accident. The cause of this catastrophe? Negligence in the workplace. In this situation, a dispatcher gave both a milk train and a passenger train the right of way on a single track at the same time. A New York Times article commented that the baggage car was driven through the smoker “like a bullet through a gun.” This especially dramatic event shows that railroad accidents have been occurring due to negligence for a very long time!

However, although some Chicago railroad injuries can certainly occur in a flash and result in immediate devastation, not all do. Many rail workers develop injuries slowly, over the course of years of service. Strained backs, ligament and soft tissue damage, and exposure to industrial toxins, solvents, and particulate matter can all result in debilitating injuries that can knock even the most experienced workers off the tracks and lead to the accumulation of endless medical bills, suffering and ultimately even death.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis, over the last three years, 1063 accidents have occurred in Chicago to on-duty railroad employees. That is almost one per day, and many of these cases may stem from some form of negligence. In order to ensure that you have the best chance to receive adequate compensation for your suffering from accidents and injuries, it is critical to come forward and begin the legal process as soon as possible after a work injury.

The Law Offices of Malman Law have tackled a number of cases involving injuries to railroad workers and have worked over 6,000 cases of Illinois personal injury and worker’s compensation since our launch 1994. If you’ve been hurt on the job due to malfunctioning equipment or the carelessness or negligence of fellow workers or foremen, contact one of our railroad accident attorneys, and you may be able to receive money to pay for rehabilitation, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even psychological therapy.

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