Today, December 1, 2013, all seven cars of a Metro North train left the tracks heading into New York City, resulting in multiple deaths and others severely injured. One train car stopped just short of going into a river. The crash happened at 7:20 a.m. and fortunately the train was not full on a Sunday morning. There is no evidence yet indicating this was the result of anything other than negligence. In September, 2013, the Daily News reported how MTA maintenance workers were collecting overtime while leaving their shifts on personal errands instead of fixing and inspecting tracks.
The accident happened as the train was approaching a curve. Whether the train operator was driving the train too fast, or the tracks were in disrepair, trains should not derail in the absence of negligence. Lawsuits serve a valuable purpose. They offer a remedy to the people injured and their families which the criminal laws fail to address. Lawsuits encourage businesses to make sure their employees are doing their work safely and responsibly. Litigation also delves deeper into the causes of such accidents as government investigations are sometimes too quick and have political considerations that may guide what information is released to the public.
If you or a loved one was injured from a train accident, it is important to call immediately for legal advice as there are strict time limitations to commence a lawsuit. It is not similar to car accident lawsuit ny. With a governmental entity, even shorter time limitations apply, and a Notice of Claim will need to be served and filed before a suit is commenced.