In the first accident, which occurred the Tuesday before New Year’s Eve, witnesses reported that a man drove his car around lowered crossing gates and into the path of a Metra express train. The crash occurred during the early morning rush hour in the northwest Chicago suburb of Palatine, on Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line.

The driver, Michael Levgard, was 64 years old. He was declared dead at the scene only minutes after the accident, although it took rescuers around a half hour to extricate his body from the wreckage. His car, crushed and totaled, was left on the tracks, causing around two hours of delays. The accident caused serious damage to the lead car of the train but, fortunately, no passenger injuries were reported.

Mr. Levgard may have believed that he could safely proceed around the crossing gates because a train was stopped in the station. However, there was another Metra express train passing through the station at the same time.

That same week, a Metra train struck a car in the suburb of West Chicago, on Metra’s Union Pacific West Line. The car was unoccupied; it had been pushed onto the tracks by an earlier automobile accident. The accident stopped the line for an hour and caused delays well past the morning rush hour, but resulted in no significant injuries.

For a free consultation with an experienced Chicago train accident lawyer at Passen Law Group, call us at (312) 527-4500.

Last month’s catastrophic train derailment in Western Illinois is the perfect example. A freight train derailed near Ottawa – an already dangerous and potentially deadly occurrence. The train, which was 131 cars long, lost 26 of its cars in the derailment, a massive train crash by any standard.

But this time, the train which derailed was carrying ethanol in large quantities for Archer Daniels Midland, a corn processor based in Decatur (as well as other chemicals and materials). So, when the derailment occurred, several portions of the train exploded, and others caught on fire. At least six of the seven to nine ethanol-carrying tanker cars burned their entire store of ethanol.

The resulting disaster created massive orange flames and smoke plumes visible for miles around. The sounds of the explosions were also heard miles away. In fact, the situation was so dangerous that an entire town was evacuated as a result. Tiskilwa, a small town of 800 residents located 100 miles to the West of Chicago, was under a mandatory evacuation order, with residents relocated to a local high school.

Although the fire was contained, and those in the town escaped initial injuries, the situation could have ended far worse. In fact, some Tiskilwa residents lived within 500 feet of the derailment. The town and its residents – as well as the employees onboard the train – were lucky to escape from this train accident without serious injuries or deaths.

There is also the environmental impact of the accident to consider. Although the investigations are not complete, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency was at work to ensure that none of the chemicals spilled in the explosion made their way into local waterways or groundwater. If they did, the potential injuries from and costs of the derailment, both monetary and human, will skyrocket.

Nothing is yet known about the cause of the accident, and initial investigations were hampered by the results of the fire. But train derailments are often caused by negligent maintenance or inspection of the train, negligent assembly of the disparate train cars, or unsafe speeds and inadequate braking.

If you have any questions about a train injury claim, please give us a call us at 312-527-4500 or email us at info@passenlaw.com for a complimentary consultation. You can also learn more by following us on Twitter, reviewing our LinkedIn or Avvo.com pages, and by reviewing our website.

There was one fatality, a 19-year-old driver of the car struck by the moving train.

Although the cause of the accident is not yet confirmed, early reports state that the deceased auto driver turned in front of the train, attempting to “beat” the train despite the activated warning gates, which he maneuvered his car around. The local Sheriff has confirmed that the guards, as well as the lights and bells at the railroad crossing were working at the time of the accident.

There were seventy-two passengers aboard the train at the time of the accident.  Fortunately, none of the passengers was killed or seriously injured in the accident.

Our experienced train injury attorneys echo the sentiments of law enforcement calling for drivers to practice basic train safety with respect to obeying warning signs and crossing gates.  While many train accidents are caused by the negligence of railroad personnel or machinery, some accidents could be prevented by drivers and pedestrians following basic safety rules.

If you have any questions about a transportation injury matter, please give us a call us at 312-527-4500 or email us at info@passenlaw.com for a complimentary consultation. You can also learn more by following us on Twitter, reviewing our LinkedIn or Avvo.com pages, and by reviewing our website.