As New Yorkers, we rely heavily on public transportation to commute to and from jobs, for family outings, to run personal errands, and much more. The scenes from a Brooklyn train station this morning were horrific – smashed glass, fire, debris, victims on stretchers, people bleeding, etc.
At approximately 8:15AM this morning, a six-car LIRR train carrying 430 passengers derailed on Track 6 at the Atlantic Terminal. The train hit a bumping block, and as a result of the impact, the wheels of the first car and one axle were knocked off the rails and the train crashed into the employee area of the platform. For passengers, it felt a loud bang and jolt that sent many people flying from their seats and where they were standing. At least 103 passengers were hurt as a result of this incident.
Natasha Bridget, a woman sitting in the first car, recounted her ordeal: “Everybody started falling on the ground. People were crying. One person bruised their mouth; their teeth fell out.” She also described scenes of passengers in the first car trying to escape the smoke and shattered glass from the impact. A woman next to her suffered a panic attack.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The train was supposed to stop short of the bumping block and had been coming into the stop at a fairly low speed of “probably less than 10 to 15 mph.” Authorities do not know why the train had not stopped.
The LIRR train incident is reminiscent of another train accident several months earlier in Hoboken, which injured over 100 passengers and killed one, making these scenes tragically too familiar. The LIRR has 300,000 weekday commuters, making it the busiest commuter railroad in the country.
If you or a loved one were injured in a train derailment, here’s what you need to know about your rights:
- The cause of the accident may not be immediately obvious. It can be one or a combination of many factors that led to this train incident. But, make no mistake, it is the responsibility of the Long Island Railroad and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to transport its passengers to their destination safely.
- Train accidents are subject to different laws and time constraints than your typical auto accidents. It’s important to take your time to speak to an experienced lawyer about the current laws governing an accident of this nature.
The attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy are here to answer any questions you may have in regards to your rights. For a free consultation, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out our contact form to speak with one of our highly-qualified personal injury lawyers. To date, we have recovered over 1 billion dollars for accident victims and are experienced in matters of accident law.