Award-Winning Mass Transit Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL
Willens Injury Law Offices is a top-rated law firm with an award-winning team of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers and Accident Attorneys who can help you when you have been injured in a mass transit accident. Since we charge no legal fees, unless and until we succeed in obtaining a monetary recovery for you, you can count on us fighting hard to get you the compensation you need and deserve.
We know that an injury case has the potential to take over a person’s life, making it difficult to move forward. People turn to us for the dedicated, caring help they require, regardless of the type of accident they were in or the type of injury sustained. We want to help them take control of their situation so they can focus on what matters most — getting back on track. This is also why many of our firm’s cases are referred to us from other lawyers and law firms who trust us to handle their friends, family members, and clients’ personal injury cases.
Why Let Willens Injury Law Offices handle your Chicago Mass Transit Accident?
If you or a loved one has injured in a mass transit accident, the Chicago Mass Transit Accident Lawyers at Willens Injury Law Offices can help protect your rights and assist you in recovering the monetary compensation that you need and deserve.
Willens Injury Law Offices has obtained millions of dollars in financial compensation on behalf of our clients. Our award-winning personal injury lawyers have successfully represented passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers injured in public transit accidents in the Chicagoland area and throughout Illinois.
Our award-winning personal injury lawyers have significant experience handling mass transit injury cases and we understand how to gather the appropriate evidence and successfully prosecute the case. Our work on behalf of individual clients helps make public transportation safer for everyone. You get aggressive representation combined with professional and considerate treatment from our entire team.
Call (312) 957-4166 For a Free Consultation
Millions in Case Verdicts & Settlements
Over the past two decades, Mr. Willens and his team of Chicago personal injury lawyers have been instrumental in obtaining numerous million-dollar-plus recoveries on behalf of clients in a wide variety of injury cases. One of the personal injury verdicts he was involved in was recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the Top 100 Verdicts in the country in the year in which it was tried. One of the verdicts he helped secure set a state record.
Need an Experienced Mass Transit Accident Attorney?
If you live and work in Chicago, you likely rely on mass transit, and you trust it to be operated safely. Unfortunately, mass transit accidents can occur and when they do, the results are often catastrophic.
Public transport vehicles in Chicago – such as CTA buses, the “L” train, Metra rails, and Pace buses – are often in the news for being in serious crashes. How do victims get compensated when a public transportation authority is involved?
If you have been hurt in a mass transit accident, you need the help of an experienced lawyer to give you the best odds for compensation. The award-winning Chicago Mass Transit Lawyers of Willens Injury Law Offices have significant experience handling transportation accidents and mass transit injury cases and we understand how to gather the appropriate evidence and successfully prosecute the case.
Mass Transit Accidents Are Different
Although mass transit accidents share some characteristics with car accidents and other types of bus accidents, there are significant differences that can impact your ability to get compensation. These include:
Three of the biggest public transit systems in Chicago are operated by the government – namely, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Pace, and Metra. As government entities, they have some level of immunity against accident claims.
The most significant restriction is that the statute of limitations against these entities is only one year. This means that you have only one year from the date of your injury to file your claim. By contrast, the statute of limitations for regular car accidents is two years.
Mass transit systems, whether public or private, are always prepared to defend themselves against claims. When a bus crash or a train accident occurs, they are quick to arrive at the scene to collect evidence and start building their defense. Disturbingly, some lawyers have also noticed a trend where video camera footage surrounding an accident “goes missing” or “suffers a malfunction.”
It is wise to document your transport accident scene as soon as you can. Take pictures and be in touch with possible witnesses. You’ll also want to hire a mass transit accident attorney in Chicago who is sharp and resourceful when facing a mass transit company.
Government agencies like the CTA are known to pursue claims into trial. Accident victims may hear that it is difficult to obtain settlements from these agencies, not least because they are well-equipped to deny claims and go to court. Sometimes, this is compounded by claimants’ mistakes such as giving statements that are later used against their claim.
It takes an experienced attorney to properly handle negotiations with the CTA, Metra, or Pace. Your lawyer must be unafraid and competent in the event that your case proceeds to trial. Look for an attorney who has a track record of achieving settlements and verdicts in mass transit cases.
Though drivers are often blamed in vehicle accidents, liability in a mass transit wreck may be shared by other negligent parties. These may include the transportation company or authority, a third-party motorist, or even a vehicle manufacturer.
If it is found that a government entity had no fault in the accident – say, for example, a private car carelessly drove onto train tracks – it may be approached as a regular personal injury case. Private individuals do not have the legal immunity of government offices.
However, it is important not to make conclusions right away. Consult with a lawyer to determine all liable parties in your accident so you can maximize the compensation you receive.
Another unique and essential characteristic of mass transit is that these vehicles are subject to a high safety standard. While other road users such as car drivers are required by the law to practice “reasonable care”, bus drivers and train operators must apply a higher level of care. This is because they are “common carriers”, and passengers completely rely on these carriers for safety.
This high standard of care may apply even in non-crash cases. For instance, passengers have been injured because their bus driver suddenly slammed on the brake while they were getting up. There are also cases where a bus or train operator closes the door before a rider could fully board or get off, resulting in the person getting caught, or worse, getting dragged. Sometimes, even a slip-and-fall accident in a vehicle or station may be grounds for an injury claim.
Following a serious mass transit accident, it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. There are important steps that need to be taken in order to protect you and your family during this difficult time. Furthermore, it is important to seek legal representation from a personal injury law firm with a track record of success in mass transit accident cases.
Are Chicago Commuter Systems Safe?
Mass transport systems serving the Chicago area include the CTA, Metra, Pace, Amtrak, Greyhound, and tourist trolleys. While these buses and railways are generally safe, they are occasionally involved in accidents that cause serious injuries and deaths.
CTA buses and trains are particularly subject to scrutiny. An ABC-7 investigation found that a Chicago city bus is involved in a crash every 36 hours on average. Another report, this time by NBC 5, revealed that CTA trains were number one in fatality rates among US mass rail systems over a period of 10 years. From 2004 to 2013, CTA trains averaged six rail deaths a year.
Just within the past few months, dozens of people have been hurt in bus and train accidents in Chicagoland. In November 2018, nine riders were injured when a CTA bus and a Pace bus collided in the Far South Side. In January 2019, at least 15 people were sent to the hospital in another CTA bus crash. And in March, one woman was killed and two train passengers injured after an SUV rolled onto CTA Blue Line train tracks.
In the wake of such accidents, individuals and families are left with incredible burdens: painful injuries, piling hospital bills, missed days at work, and high levels of stress. You may be compensated for these and more. Reach out to a skilled Chicago mass transit accident attorney at Willens Injury Law Offices to talk about your best legal options.
What Your Case Is Worth
How much could you claim in a CTA bus accident or a Metra rail crash? This varies widely, depending on the specific circumstances of your case. In general, you may be compensated for the following:
Economic damages
- Medical bills
- Therapy or rehabilitation costs
- Long-term costs
- Lost earnings
- Lost capacity to earn
Non-economic damages
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Emotional distress
In the event of a loved one’s wrongful death, damages may include:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Lost companionship or consortium
- Lost guidance and care
- Lost benefits.
To give you some idea of mass transit claims payouts, here are some cases that we at Willens Injury Law have successfully handled:
A personal injury case refers to a legal dispute that results when an individual suffers harm or sustains an injury from an accident that someone else may be legally responsible for. Such cases are often caused by the carelessness or negligence of another. In some instances, multiple parties may be responsible, and so the victim may choose to sue all involved parties to recover the full amount of both economic and non-economic compensation needed for his or her injuries.
Auto accidents are among the leading causes of death in the United States, resulting in tens of thousands of fatalities each year and serious injuries in the hundreds of thousands. Rollovers, head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, and T-bone car wrecks can lead to life-changing injuries such as loss of limbs, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain damage, and severe burns.
When a passenger vehicle is involved in an accident with a massive truck, the damage can be catastrophic or even fatal due to the truck’s weight and size. Many factors can cause truck accidents to occur, such as truck driver fatigue, driver recklessness, driver inattentiveness, lack of driver training, following another vehicle too closely, speeding, unsecured cargo, poor truck maintenance, manufacturing defects, poor weather, or inclement road conditions.
Motorcycle accidents that happen all too often on U.S. roads and highways are often a result of negligent and careless drivers who do not recognize the road rights and privileges of motorcyclists. Some causes of this type of accident are speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield, driving while fatigued, road defects, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
When an accident with a motor vehicle and a bicycle takes place, disaster is likely to result—particularly for the rider who is more likely to sustain serious and even fatal injuries. Bicyclists can suffer injuries such as head trauma, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, internal injuries, damaged limbs, and road rash. The most common cause of bicycle accidents is the motor vehicle driver’s carelessness or negligence. Sadly, these accidents are often deemed minor incidents, and so local officials discount the cyclist’s side of the story.
With thousands of workers either sustaining serious injuries or being killed in construction accidents each year, it is no wonder that jobs in the industry are among the most dangerous in the country. Even with strict safety regulations and standards in place, construction workers must face high risks of injury every single day from accidents such as falling materials, excavation accidents, lifting injuries, scaffolding accidents, cutting and welding accidents, ladder accidents, machinery and heavy equipment accidents, explosions, and exposure to toxic materials. As a result, workers sustain injuries such as fractured or broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, electrocution, burn injuries, and wrongful death.
No matter how friendly a dog may be, it is important to remember that any dog breed can attack a human. Hundreds of thousands of victims are brought to the hospital each year due to dog bites—though thankfully most injuries from this type of accident are not fatal.
Property owners have a duty to ensure the safety of all their guests and visitors and must therefore keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition. This includes fixing dangers or warning visitors of slippery floors, uneven surfaces, and icy walkways. Liability may also extend to dog bites, elevator or escalator accidents, accidents due to insufficient security, poor lighting, or poor ventilation.
Assisted living facilities and nursing homes are meant to be safe havens for the elderly—a place where they can be given quality short-term or long-term care, protected from all types of harm, and treated with utmost dignity. Unfortunately, all too many nursing homes are focused on earning a profit as opposed to providing the quality of care required by their patients. As a result, nursing home patients suffer from serious illnesses or injuries due to their caregivers’ negligent actions.
As a consumer, you have the right to assume that each product you purchase is safe and that it will function as it is intended to. However, thousands of individuals are injured from dangerous or defective products every year, including automobiles, toys, sporting goods, prescription drugs, medical devices, household appliances, machinery and workplace equipment, and so much more.
As a patient, you place your life into the able hands of medical professionals and healthcare facilities, rightfully expecting to be provided a certain standard of care. In some instances, however, the negligence or error of a medical professional may cause your condition to worsen or result in additional injuries.
The process of pregnancy and giving birth can be extremely challenging, particularly since there are numerous things that can go wrong. Sometimes, a baby is born with a life-altering condition that health providers had nothing to do with. Other times, however, a birth injury may result from a poor decision made by a health care provider during delivery.
