Metro-Rail Collides with Bus in Long Beach
September 19, 2008 - (Breaking News)
By Attorney Michael Ehline
In the never ending saga of California light rail accidents, today, September 19, 2008, there was Metro-Rail light train wreck that occurred when a Metro Blue line of Los Angeles County, rammed a Metro bus close to downtown when undergoing today’s commute. 13 people are known to be injured according to fire officials on the scene.
This time it was a Metro Blue Line train locomotive on its way to Long Beach. It had an unknown number of passengers aboard, and the Metro bus was “out of service.” At least two dozen people were injured, but at this time, there is no evidence that the injuries appeared are life-threatening. This is according to Fire Department spokesperson, Brian Humphrey.
“We had an out-of-service bus turn in front of the train,” according to Mr. Marc Littman, who is a spokes-person for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA actually operated the bus and the metro-train that collided. He went on to say: “We don’t know who had the right of way.”
The collision caused a derailment of the electric locomotive lead train, as well, so clean up efforts are underway as the investigation proceeds. The passenger cars reportedly remained on the train tracks.
The crash comes exactly one week after the deadliest Metro-Link accident in California history. That accident occurred when a Metrolink commuter train collided head on with a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The death toll so far in that train crash is 25 passengers, with at least 130 people injured. Injuries include amputation, broken bones and soft tissue injuries.
The Metro Blue Line is situated on 22 miles of train track. It runs from downtown to Long Beach and there are also other routes in the County of Los Angeles. If you were hurt in the most recent Long Beach train crash, contact Long Beach Metro-Rail accident attorney, Michael Ehline at 888-400-9721. http://www.californiatrainaccidents.com/faq.shtml Answers To Railroad Accident Questions Many people in California and Los Angeles depend railway transportation and while it is one of the safest ways to travel train accidents do occur. The laws in place that govern rail companies provide that rail companies must protect their passengers and because of this rail companies can be held liable in train accidents as common carriers. Train accident injured victims often have claims that can be filed against the rail company that could have in some cases have prevented the accident.
There is state and federal laws that regulate rail companies and the care they use to protect the public, this includes safety precautions and the care they take for known dangers. When a train accident occurs that can mean the rail company broke the regulations to keep the public safe and in this instance the rail company can be held partially or totally liable.
Injuries from train accidents can include contusions, broken bones and more critical injuries, this can affect a person’s ability to provide for them selves or their family, along with damages like medical bills and ongoing medical care. For these reasons it is important to have a experienced train accident attorney represent you or to be advised if you have a legal claim against the rail company.
Motorists are to stop 15 feet or more from a railroad crossing and wait until the train is safely out of the crossing area before beginning to travel across the tracks. This is one way to protect your self from railway accidents when in a vehicle. It should be easy to know when a train is going to be traveling on the tracks at a railroad crossing, by federal laws they are to sound their horn and they must have lights. This can help when the railroad crossing is an unsecured one.
In some cases the rail company is not held liable for defective crossing equipment, but they can be held liable for lack of maintenance of the crossing. This can often be found that crossings do not have the proper or working safety equipment that is required by federal law. To protect your self against it when in the area of railroad tracks always use caution.
One thing that can work against train accident victims is the fact that there are state statutes of limitations, this means a train accident victim or their family must seek representation as quickly as possible because of this time limit to make a claim against a rail company. There may be a government claim, such as a Metrolink wreck. This requires a claim be filed within 6 months, or lose your right to sue the negligent entity.
This is why train accident attorneys at Ehline Law advise train accident victims to contact them in order to begin their claim immediately before they are out of time to file their government claim. Ehline Law will then begin to aggressively build your case and fight the rail company to recover the damages you deserve.
If you or a family member has been injured in a Metrorail or Metrolink, or even a Union Pacific train accident, Ehline Law can be contacted at 888-400-9721.
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