Train crash accident results in wrongful death of two railroaders

The engineer and conductor of a Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern train died in a train crash accident on Tuesday.  These railroaders, who both lived in Savanna, Illinois, were in the lead locomotive of a two locomotive, 83-car train which was going through Bettendorf, Iowa when they ran into a cut of train cars which were standing on the track to which they had been dispatched.  The train crash and train derailment resulted in the wrongful death accident which claimed the lives of these men.

As railroaders, their families would not be eligible to collect Illinois worker's compensation benefits, but would haver to file a FELA wrongful death suit.  This would require that they show that the railroad did not provide them with a safe place to work.  Obviously, having a standing cut of cars on a track where you have been cleared to operate is a safety hazard for railroaders.

This accident calls to mind the Amtrak derailment at Christmastime a few years ago.  This was also an accident where the train was dispatched down a track where there a was standing cut of cars.  One of the keys aspects of this case will be the issue of who was responsible for clearing that track and why the standing cut of rail cars were there when these men were told that the track was clear for operations.

The families of these men would do well contact an experienced Rockford train accident lawyer to investigate these important issues.