An employee with Union Pacific Railroad noticed that the track “didn’t look exactly right” right before an incoming freight train derailed on July 4th, 2012 near the town of Northbrook. The railroad accident caused the rail bridge to collapse on top of a crossing vehicle, killing the two people inside of it.
A spokesman for Union Pacific stated that the employee who maintained the signal system had casually noticed a potential obstacle on the tracks, and had just called in an expert to take a look in order to confirm whether the track was safe to operate. Unfortunately, by the time the expert arrived, the freight train accident had already occurred.
The company insists that there was nothing structurally wrong with the bridge, and believes a heat-related anomaly caused the accident as the train was traveling across the bridge. This is not the first time the bridge has suffered damage during a derailment – in 2009, a similar accident occurred. Because of the bridge’s history, some have questioned why Union Pacific does not change train speed limits during hot or extreme temperatures near the bridge.
If you or one of your loved ones has been injured in a train accident in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact Harvey L. Walner & Associates, Ltd. today to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced Chicago railroad accident lawyer.
