A train derailment caused by a stopped truck on the tracks sent nine people to the hospital, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The semi truck accident took place in Macoupin County, in southern Illinois, late in the morning of Dec. 8. The train was an Amtrak passenger train heading to St. Louis from Chicago. According to a spokesman, the train came upon a tractor-trailer truck obstructing the tracks north of Brighton, Ill. The ensuing crash derailed four cars and nine people, including the train’s engineer, were taken to local hospitals. Fortunately, the truck’s driver had already gotten out of the truck and was not hurt, and none of the train’s passengers or crew was seriously injured.
Accidents between trains and trucks are relatively rare. Most of my practice as a Missouri trucking accident lawyer focuses on accidents between cars and trucks, which are both more common and much more serious, because of the huge difference in weight between a passenger car and a multi-ton commercial truck. As this accident shows, the weight difference doesn’t work in the train passengers’ favor because the accident can cause a derailment, which throws passengers around violently in the same way that a rollover accident in a car would (only without seatbelts or airbags). In either case, victims run the risk of a head injury, spinal damage or other serious injuries that can mean death or permanent disability.
Fortunately, nobody involved in this accident suffered a serious injury or death. But in cases where a trucking accident does lead to serious harm, victims have the right to sue the people or organizations at fault for the accident. In an Illinois or Missouri trucking accident lawsuit, victims can claim payment for the financial costs of the accident, such as medical bills; and compensation for serious injuries, disabilities and any wrongful death.
At the Lowe Law Firm, we handle commercial truck accidents throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. Located in St. Louis and in Belleville, Ill., our experienced trucking accident lawyers can help you pinpoint who was at fault for the accident, protect your rights from any wrongdoing by lawyers for the other side and prove your case in a court of law (if necessary). If you’d like to know more, you can contact the Lowe Law Firm online or call us toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.
