SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – A Metrolink commuter train hit a maintenance truck parked on a set up railroad tracks on Saturday. A railroad worker was sitting in the truck at the time. He was killed. Three passengers in the train suffered minor injuries. The person who was killed in the accident was an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and tracks maintained by Metrolink.
When the train hit the Union Pacific Railroad truck just after 9 a.m., it was traveling east of lost Angeles along the border of the city of Industry and the unincorporated community of Bassett. Authorities are trying to determine why the truck was on the tracks, they do not believe it was suicide. Union Pacific spokeswoman Lupe Valdez said the crash appears to have been an accident.
The three injured Metrolink passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. An engineer, conductor, two sheriff’s officials and 138 passengers were on board the train at the time of the accident. The train sustained only minor damage.
Metrolink has been involved in many major crashes in the past few years. In December 2009, six people were injured when a commuter train hit a pickup truck. In 2008, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink train hit a freight train. Investigators in that accident believe the train engineer had been texting and ran a red light.
In 2005, 11 people died and 180 people were injured when a man parked his SUV on the tracks in suburban Glendale. The driver later claimed he had been suicidal. He was convicted of murder in the accident.
Our hearts go out to the family of the man killed in this accident. This seems to have simply been a tragic accident. However, when someone is injured or killed in a mass transit accident and fault can be determined, the injured party may be able to recover for their losses.
The kinds of losses a plaintiff may recover depend on the nature of the accident and the fault proven. Plaintiffs may be able to recover in wrongful death, or personal injury. Personal injury awards may include compensation for injuries, lost wages, and sometimes pain and suffering. If you would like to speak with a qualified lawyer about your potential case, contact Berman & Riedel, LLP in San Diego, California. If you would like to learn more about the firm, visit www.bermanlawyers.com.
