Train Operator Falls Asleep at Controls, Train Derails and Injures 32

According to CNN, the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train crashed and injured 32 people on March 24.

The eight-car train failed to stop at the end of the line when it arrived at the airport station at 2:52 a.m., according to Chicago Fire Department officials. The lead car appeared to have climbed an escalator adjacent to the passenger platform. One federal investigator told CNN that he has never seen a train climb an escalator like the one that jumped the tracks at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

“I’ve investigated many accidents and trains do different things,” stated Tim DePaepe, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator. “It’s all about kinetic force. I have not seen an accident like this personally.”

According to the NTSB, the train’s driver was asleep at the controls when the crash occurred. The operator jolted awake just in time for her to see the lead car climb the stairs that started not far from where the track ran out. However, NTSB investigators say the emergency braking systems should have stopped the eight-car train without her.

Our Injury Attorneys Have Decades of Successful Experience

Driver negligence and a potential train defect caused this mind-blowing derailment. As injury lawyer Julie Kane explains in the video below, no matter if you were hurt in a truck accident, car accident or slip and fall accident, the most important step to take after being injured is to seek medical attention for your injuries. After that, it is important to contact an accident attorney so he or she can begin compiling evidence to support your case.

To schedule a consultation with someone at Colson Hicks Eidson, do not hesitate to contact us today. We handle cases throughout the nation and around the globe.

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Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/us/chicago-ohare-train-derailment/index.html?hpt=us_c2