In A Short Time Span Amtrak Trains Kill 3 In Connecticut

For the third time since late April, an Amtrak train has been involved in a fatal accident in Connecticut.

The most recent incident took place at or near the Milford train station when an Amtrak train traveling between two major cities along the East Coast hit a person who was on the track, killing the individual.

As the matter is still under investigation, the police did not immediately make public any details of the identity of the person who was killed, nor did they make any statement as to the circumstances of how he or she got onto the track. Police closed the track on which the accident occurred, pending completion of the investigation.

Amtrak has a legal duty to its passengers as well as the general public to do everything reasonably possible to ensure the trains and the tracks that it uses are safe.

Amtrak has reported that the victim was a “trespasser,” according to a news report. It is unclear at this time whether any precautions were in place to prevent trespassers from gaining access to the tracks.

What Legal Options Do the Family of a Victim Have?

It is important that train passengers as well as their loved ones are aware of their rights should a train accident occur. When a person is killed as the result of a train company’s negligence, a wrongful death cause of action exists. Wrongful death claims allow a victim’s loved ones to seek justice and financial compensation.

The pursuit of a wrongful death claim is a matter that is best undertaken with the assistance of legal counsel.

Source: 

Connecticut Post, “Person struck, killed by Amtrak train in Milford,” Frank Juliano, May 9, 2014