When a train collides with a car, everything can change in an instant. Lives may be lost; survivors may be left with permanent, severe injuries. The aftermath following a railroad crossing accident is always challenging for the victims and for the family members of those who were hurt or killed.

While money can’t restore health or return a loved one to a grieving family, it can help alleviate some of financial pressures such as soaring medical bills and the loss of income from wages that arise after such a catastrophic accident.

In addition to medical bills and lost past and future income, victims can also seek damages for pain and suffering and property. However, it is important to see an attorney as soon as possible after a railroad crossing accident. If a railroad company owned by the federal government was involved in the collision, the time to file a lawsuit after the accident could be as short as six months.

At Simon Passanante, we’ve helped numerous people who have been damaged as a result of train crossings caused by a railroad company’s carelessness. We’ve represented clients who were hurt because the train’s speed was too fast or because the train didn’t sound the horns at a crossing. We’ve handled cases where accidents were caused by the railroad’s failure to fix safety equipment, such as warning lights and gates, at the crossings.

Recently, our firm represented 28-year-old Christine Bova, a woman who was a passenger in a car that was struck at a railroad crossing that had a history of malfunctioning safety warning equipment. The same crossing also was the scene of a number of accidents before our client was hurt. Through our investigation, we determined the crossing gate was not down when the car drove onto the train tracks. Further, the train was going about 50 miles per hour when it entered the crossing, the train didn’t apply the emergency brake until 54 feet after the crash and the engineer didn’t sound the train’s horn until a split second prior to the crash. Only a few hours before the accident, the warning gate and bells didn’t ring until a tractor-trailer was already on the tracks. In the year before the accident, there were at least seven reports that the crossing wasn’t working properly. This case, which involved horrendous and disabling injuries to the plaintiff, settled for a confidential amount.

To learn more about Christine Bova’s case, click here.

To find out if Simon Passanante P.C. can help you, please contact John G. Simon at 314-241-2929 or e-mail JSimon@spstl-law.com.

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