An explosion on the Metra train tracks on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, near the Grayland station has killed one worker and badly injured another.
Two welders were working in the 4500 block of West Byron Street when the tragedy occurred, according to officials. The two men were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where one tragically died. There were reportedly 17 workers in the area repairing the tracks. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investigating the cause of the explosion.
Clifford Law Offices has represented many injured workers or the families of those who have died in explosions or in rail incidents. The most widely publicized incident involving Metra was that of internationally-acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton who was severely injured when a Metra train ran over her after dragging her on the North Line some 300 feet. She survived. The case was tried and resulted in a $29.6 million verdict that ultimately settled for $35 million.
The incident occurred about 11:45 a.m. on elevated tracks about seven miles from downtown Chicago. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. Nearby neighbors reported to the Chicago Tribune that they heard a loud boom that shook their house.
To learn more about if you need a lawyer if you are involved in an incident involving a train line, go to https://www.cliffordlaw.com/train-accident-faq/
There you will find a Q and A with Clifford Law Offices’ partner, Kevin P. Durkin, who has handled dozens of transportation incidents in his legal career on behalf of plaintiffs and their families including serving as Co-Lead Counsel in the litigation involving the crash of an Amtrak train in Bourbonnais that left 13 people dead, and he currently represents 30 of the 33 people injured or killed in the Amtrak derailment of December, 2017, in Seattle, Washington.