Have you been injured or suffered the devastating loss of a family member in a recent MetroLink train accident in Los Angeles, California? Contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers. You may have the right to recover compensation for your emotional distress, loss of income, disability, and medical bills. Our experienced Los Angeles MetroLink and train accident lawyers can help you fight to maximize your recovery.
When you choose M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, you benefit from a team of award-winning California trial attorneys with 100+ years of combined experience. Together, we’ve helped our clients win over $400 million in life-altering financial settlements and jury awards.
Now we’re ready to help you stand up to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), negligent train operators, and anyone else who might be responsible for your devastating Metrolink accident. Call our law office in Los Angeles, CA, at (877) 300-4535 to set up a free consultation now.
How M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a MetroLink Accident in Los Angeles, CA
It can be intimidating to take on the SCRRA, government agencies, and powerful insurance companies after a train accident. After all, they’re multi-million dollar entities with endless resources at their disposal.
The good news is that you can set yourself up for success – and take the stress and pressure of litigation off of your shoulders – by calling our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers for help.
At M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, we are top-rated California litigators with a proven ability to take on challenging cases, stand up to powerful adversaries, and win top results for clients like you.
With our law firm handling your MetroLink train accident case, you’ll give yourself peace of mind and the opportunity to focus on your physical and emotional well-being.
Our legal team will handle everything else:
- Carefully review the results of local, state, or federal investigations of the train accident
- Conduct an exhaustive in-house investigation
- Analyze black box data, video recordings, accident reports, maintenance records, inspection reports, witness statements, medical records, property damage, and physical evidence from the scene
- Consult with leading train accident and injury experts
- Handle allegations of shared responsibility
- Utilize tried-and-true negotiation tactics to secure a top-dollar settlement
- Reject lowball offers and represent you at trial if you don’t receive a fair settlement offer
As experienced litigators, we won’t shy away from going to trial if that’s what it will take to get you the best possible results for your MetroLink train accident injuries.
Call our law office in Los Angeles, CA, to discover more about what it means to have M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers representing you. We offer a free consultation and don’t get paid unless we win or settle your case – so call now.
How Common Are Train Accidents?
There are thousands of train accidents reported across the nation every year. Some of these accidents involve non-passenger trains that haul goods, raw materials, and toxic substances across state lines. Many involve passenger trains and cause hundreds of injuries and deaths annually.
According to the Federal Railroad Association, there were 2,178 railroad accidents in the United States in 2022.
These accidents resulted in 763 injuries and no fewer than 273 deaths.
California ranks second when it comes to train accidents, second only to Texas. In 2022, there were a total of 171 collisions. At least 38 people were injured, and 43 people were killed in these railroad crossing accidents.
What Causes Most MetroLink and Train Accidents in Los Angeles?
MetroLink is a popular rail service in Southern California, operating 543 miles of railroad across Los Angeles County, Ventura County, San Bernardino County, Orange County, Riverside County, and San Diego County.
It operates 8 different rail lines and services 67 train stations throughout Southern California.
As a common carrier, MetroLink has a duty to exercise the “highest care and the vigilance of a very cautious person” when transporting passengers across the state. This duty applies to other train and transit companies as well.
Ultimately, MetroLink has to do everything in its power to ensure safe operations and protect passengers from harm. Despite this, MetroLink accidents are still prevalent.
Typically, MetroLink train accidents are the result of negligence.
Common contributors include:
- Operator inexperience
- Operator inattention
- Speeding
- Drunk or impaired operation
- Operator distraction
- Fatigued operation
- Negligent train maintenance
- Negligent train repairs
- Signal errors
- Defective tracks
- Derailments
- Unprotected railroad crossings
- Mechanical problems
Sometimes trains derail or collide because of trespassers (pedestrians on the tracks), stalled vehicles, or obstructed tracks.
Under California law, MetroLink (and other train companies) can be held responsible for even the slightest negligence if it contributes to a train accident.
Who’s Liable for a MetroLink Train Accident?
A thorough investigation will reveal why and how the train accident happened. Once the cause is established, liability will become clearer.
Depending on the specific circumstances of your MetroLink train accident, potentially liable parties might include:
- Negligent train operator
- Southern California Regional Rail Authority
- The government agency or private entity responsible for train or track maintenance
- Negligent motorist
- Negligent pedestrian
- Train or equipment manufacturer
- Train mechanic
Under California law, liability can be shared by everyone who contributes to a MetroLink train accident. This includes victims. If your own negligence contributed to your train accident, you could be on the hook for other victims’ damages. At the same time, your financial award can be reduced.
If you’re 15 percent at fault for a MetroLink train accident, your damages will be reduced by 15 percent.
It’s important to fight back against claims of negligence and shared responsibility. Our train accident attorneys in Los Angeles will be ready to handle these types of allegations and limit their effectiveness. We’ll demand hard evidence to back up those claims and work to gather evidence of our own that shift blame in other directions. The less fault you share, the more money you can ultimately recover when your MetroLink train accident case is settled.
What Damages Are Available to MetroLink Train Accident Victims?
Whether you’re a MetroLink passenger, a pedestrian, or an occupant of a motor vehicle, the injuries resulting from a collision can be catastrophic.
Fortunately, California law provides you with the opportunity to seek compensation for the financial losses and personal suffering you might experience.
These are known as economic damages and non-economic damages, respectively.
Together, they’re known as compensatory damages and can include money for:
The Southern California Regional Rail Authority and its insurance company will attempt to dictate the terms of your MetroLink train accident case. Our experienced personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles won’t let them. After all, you deserve to be fully compensated for your injuries and suffering – and the defendant won’t have your best interests at heart.
To help you make the most of your fight for compensation, our law firm will enlist the expert assistance of train specialists, medical professionals, accident reconstructionists, forensic specialists, and others as we work on your case. They can help us understand the specific mechanisms that caused your MetroLink accident and how the incident has changed – and will continue to affect – your life.
With their help, we can position ourselves to secure a top-dollar award that truly represents what your MetroLink train accident case is worth.
How Long Will I Have To File a MetroLink Train Accident Lawsuit in California?
Whether you’ve suffered a personal injury or experienced the wrongful death of a family member, you’ll have just two years to pursue compensation after a train accident in Los Angeles by default. However, the deadline is much shorter if you need to file a claim against a government agency.
The statute of limitations begins the run on the date of your accident, the date an injury is reasonably discovered, or the victim’s date of death, whichever is later.
There are other times when the statute of limitations might be different as well. For instance, children might have additional time to bring a claim if their parents or a guardian doesn’t pursue compensation on their behalf.
Because of the complexity involved in statute of limitations law, it is best to confirm the appropriate deadline for your case with an attorney.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With an Experienced Los Angeles MetroLink and Train Accident Lawyer
Have you suffered a brain injury, loss of a limb, broken bones, severe burns, a spinal cord injury, or another catastrophic injury in a Los Angeles MetroLink train accident? It’s critically important for you to understand your legal rights and options.
The train service or another negligent party might be financially responsible for your injuries and suffering. Our Los Angeles MetroLink and train accident lawyers have the experience, resources, and proven ability to win that you’ll need to get the compensation you deserve.
Put an award-winning team of California train accident attorneys on the case by calling our Los Angeles, CA, law office today. We offer a free, no-obligation case evaluation, so there’s absolutely no risk in calling and discovering the benefits of working with our law firm.
