At least two people were injured following a Glencoe Metra train collision with a motor vehicle in Northeastern Illinois.
Glencoe Metra Train Collision at Crossing
The Glencoe Metra train collision took place at approximately 4:15 p.m. on January 3, 2022. At that time, a train was approaching the Metra station in the 700 block of Old Green Bay Road in Glencoe when it struck a car at the Park Avenue grade crossing.
At least one person was extricated from the motor vehicle and taken to an area hospital. That individual’s condition was not immediately made public. Emergency personnel also transported one other person from the scene of the Glencoe Metra train collision to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Metra halted inbound and outbound train traffic on the Union Pacific North Line following the incident. Additionally, Park Avenue was closed in both directions between Green Bay Road and Greenleaf Avenue while Metra police investigated the cause of the crash.
It is unknown whether any personal injury attorneys have filed suit over the Glencoe Metra train collision.
The Complexity of Train-Vehicle Collisions
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there have been over 2,000 train-vehicle collisions in the United States per year since 2013. Approximately half of these incidents inflict serious injuries, with more than 230 people killed in train-vehicle collisions on an annual basis.
In most of these cases, the driver of the motor vehicle is at fault. However, train-vehicle collision liability can sometimes be more complicated, with multiple parties proving negligent. These parties may include:
- Engineers and Operators – Engineers have a responsibility to operate trains at a safe speed for conditions, deploy signals and lights when traveling at night, and communicate with dispatchers, crews, and local stations.
- Railroad Companies – Railroad companies have a legal duty to properly educate engineers, operators, and conductors, employ sufficient staffing to prevent worker fatigue, and inspect trains on a regular basis to identify defects.
- Track Owners – Private owners of domestic train lines must make sure that tracks are safe to use, including by conducting maintenance and landscaping alongside the lines and by providing safety features at crossings.
- Maintenance Services – If inadequately maintained equipment malfunctions, third-party contractors hired by railroad companies to perform maintenance on trains, signals, and warning systems could be found liable.
- Municipalities – Local governments may bear responsibility if they create conditions that contribute to a train-vehicle collision, such as by neglecting to install functional roadbeds or sufficient signage and lighting at railroad crossings.
- Manufacturers – Manufacturers need to design and construct safe passenger and freight trains, since any mechanical failures may increase the severity of a train accident.
Given the number of parties that could be involved in a train-vehicle collision, injured victims need to identify all of those who may be at fault because failure to do so within the time allotted by law could forever bar them from obtaining full and fair compensation.
Are You the Victim of a Train-Vehicle Collision?
Personal injury claims for train-vehicle accidents can be challenging. If you have been hurt in an incident like the Glencoe Metra train collision and want to increase your chances of achieving a positive outcome, consider doing what so many other injured people have done before you and reach out to GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.
With over $2 billion recovered in verdicts and settlements, GWC is one of the premier Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. No other plaintiff firm in the state is more respected – or more feared – by its adversaries, both inside and outside of the courtroom. Our personal injury attorneys have the experience, the determination, the resources, and the reputation you need to help get you and your family the justice you deserve.
Contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a dedicated personal injury attorney. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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