Young Illinois boy injured in train accident

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Train Accidents on Wednesday, December 10, 2014.

In many areas where the distance from a home to a school bus stop is considered short, some parents may allow their children to walk alone. Children are often able to make it to their bus stop in time and complete the journey to school. Unfortunately, there are situations where serious accidents can take place, and a child could become the victim of a train accident.

A fourth grade student in Illinois was unfortunately the victim of such a situation. It was reported that the young boy was running on a side walk presumably to a bus stop. The sidewalk intersects with a railroad crossing, and a train was approaching when the boy attempted to cross. It was noted that there are no gates at the sidewalk.

The boy was stuck by the train and suffered a serious leg injury. There were other individuals close to the incident site who were waiting at the bus stop. One witness stated that the boy typically got on the bus on the other side of the railroad tracks, and it was unclear why he may have been attempting to cross the tracks that day.

When anyone is the victim of a train accident, the situation can be horrifying. The fact that the victim in this Illinois incident was a young boy makes the event even more tragic. As the boy is treated and hopefully recovering from the accident, his parents may want to look into legal options. Because there are no gates at the sidewalk where it crosses the railroad, certain parties could potentially be held liable, and the parents may wish to seek compensation.

Source: Chicago Tribune, “Boy, 11, ‘convalescing’ after being struck by Metra train in Blue Island“, Dennis Sullivan, Dec. 3, 2014