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Los Angeles Train Accident Attorney

Taking the Los Angeles Metrolink or another Metro Rail train is a great way to save time and money on your commute. You can avoid traffic and save money on gas by taking the train in LA. Unfortunately, the City of Los Angeles may not always provide safe public transportation. Negligent conductors, dangerous premises, negligent security at train stations, equipment failures and other issues could lead to disastrous train accidents. Please contact us for a free consultation with a top Los Angeles train accident attorney if you or a loved one has been in a train accident. You could be eligible for compensation from the city.

Why Trust Rose, Klein & Marias LLP With Your Train Accident Claim?

  • We are not only committed to obtaining maximum compensation for each client, but also to furthering the laws involved in each case.
  • We take client representation seriously, working tirelessly to uphold high standards of care and to provide the best possible counsel.
  • We have expanded to include dozens of lawyers stationed at 10 offices throughout Southern California for your convenience.
  • We accept Los Angeles train accident claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will only have to pay if we win.
Los Angeles Train Accident Lawyer

How Can a Los Angeles Train Accident Lawyer Help?

Hiring a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer experienced in train accidents can cost you far less than not hiring an attorney. When you retain an attorney from Rose, Klein & Marias LLP, you will only pay our attorney’s fees if we win, and only then from the compensatory award we secure on your behalf. You will not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs to retain our services.

We may be able to negotiate a better settlement from the government and/or an insurance company than you could receive alone. Even after we deduct our fees, your remaining compensatory award could be higher than the amount you might have received without our assistance. Insurance companies are more likely to take a claim seriously after a client hires a lawyer.

What to Do After a Train Accident in Los Angeles

If you get injured in a train accident in Los Angeles, you should act quickly to protect your safety and legal rights. It is important to document the event as much as possible while you are still at the scene and in the days following. The most important thing, however, is to get prompt medical treatment for your injuries.

Take the following steps after an LA train accident:

  1. Get to a safe location off of the train and away from any potential injury risks.
  2. Check yourself for injuries and get a professional medical evaluation, even if you feel fine.
  3. Call 911 immediately to report the accident if no one else already has.
  4. When the police arrive, give them a statement for the record. Write down your police report number.
  5. Document the scene by taking photos and videos. 
  6. Write down key details and eyewitness information.
  7. Report the accident to the train company, such as Metrolink or Amtrak.
  8. Preserve all records, including your medical documents and expenses related to the accident.
  9. If you are contacted by an insurance company, do not give them a recorded statement.
  10. Before you accept an insurance settlement, consult with a train accident attorney.

As soon as you contact our attorneys, we will connect you to the right doctors for your medical care and explain your rights in terms of filing a legal claim. We can help you pursue justice and fair financial compensation for a serious train accident in Los Angeles County.

Elements of a Train Accident Case in Los Angeles, CA

It is so important to use a Los Angeles train accident attorney for your train accident claim because you will be going up against the public transportation system. This means the defendant in your case will be the government. Although the California Tort Claims Act permits civilians to bring negligence claims against the government, these cases have unique and often complicated requirements.

To have the right to file a lawsuit against the government, it or one of its on-duty employees must have negligently or recklessly caused your train accident. The government will be vicariously liable for the negligence of an employee, such as a train conductor who falls asleep on the job or a maintenance crew that intentionally ignored a hazardous condition on a car. A skilled train accident attorney in Los Angeles can help you determine whether you have grounds to bring a tort claim against the government in California.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Train Accident Cases in California?

One of the most important rules to remember is the shortened statute of limitations. Rather than having two years to bring your injury claim, as you do for most personal injury lawsuits in California, you will have just six months to give the entity you plan on filing against a notice of your intent to file. Your Los Angeles train accident lawyer will need to give written notice to the public transportation agency within six months, or else you could lose any right to financial compensation for your train accident.

What Is a Los Angeles Train Accident?

A train accident refers to a serious and sometimes catastrophic event involving a train, rail or metro in Los Angeles. It can describe any type of harmful event on the LA Metrolink or Amtrak train that results in injuries.

Common types of train accidents are:

  • Collisions: trains striking other train cars, motor vehicles, fixed objects, or bicyclists and pedestrians.
  • Derailments: a train running off its tracks, potentially due to obstructions, speeding or defective tracks.
  • Mechanical failures: train accidents caused by brake failure, engine failure or other critical systems on the train malfunctioning.
  • Cargo accidents: injuries caused by cargo falling from a train or a train carrying hazardous materials crashing.

Train accidents can lead to serious injuries, including broken bones, head and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, permanent disabilities, internal injuries, and soft-tissue damage. Sadly, many train accidents are fatal, with one or more deaths involved.

What Causes Train Accidents in Los Angeles?

Train accidents should not occur in safe and properly controlled environments. Train companies and their staff have a responsibility to obey all relevant federal and state laws to ensure the safety of riders. Unfortunately, negligence and human error often interfere with train safety. In personal injury law, negligence is the failure to act with proper care.

Reasons behind many train accidents in California include:

  • Train conductor error
  • Conductor drowsiness, distraction or impairment
  • Operating a train at a dangerous speed
  • Miscommunication among staff
  • Motor vehicle driver error
  • Train mechanical problems
  • Brake failure
  • Defective or broken train tracks
  • Misaligned track switches
  • Lack of safety inspections
  • Poor train or infrastructure maintenance
  • Train cargo issues or spills
  • Dangerous environmental conditions

Identifying the cause of your train accident in Los Angeles is the first step toward seeking justice. An attorney at Rose, Klein & Marias LLP can conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine everyone who played a role in the accident that injured you. This may include the train company, conductor, product manufacturer or a third party.

Contact a Top Train Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA Today

The Los Angeles train accident attorneys at Rose, Klein & Marias LLP offer risk-free initial consultations so you can discuss your accident and learn your rights at no cost or obligation to hire our firm. When you contact our local LA law office, you will speak directly to a lawyer – not an assistant or paralegal. One of our lead attorneys will listen to your train accident story and let you know how we may be able to help. If we decide to take your case, we can start investigations and preliminary processes right away. Call (213) 626-0571 today for a direct line to our Los Angeles law office or contact us online.