Amtrak is a popular method of passenger transportation in America. In the 2015 fiscal year alone, Amtrak was used by 30.8 million travelers. Whether used for business trip or personal travel, many Americans and Canadians rely on Amtrak’s services for reliability, safety, and consistency.
Unfortunately, Amtrak crashes and derailments can happen as well. The causes for these accidents can vary; they include, defective equipment, operator error, and even debris on the train tracks. These accidents on Amtrak can result in a multitude of different injuries in passengers.
Different Types of Injuries
The injuries from an Amtrak derailment can be physical, emotional, and financial.
Physical injuries – These injuries include, broken bones, bruises, back injuries, and brain injuries. The recoveries from these injuries can range; some being easier to recover while others a lifetime of treatment and care.
Pain and suffering – This type of injury can alter you permanently. For example, you may have injured your hand and now you have to deal with the constant spasms of the hand. Or the accident can leave you traumatized and you suffer from depression because of it.
Replacement Services – An Amtrak accident can affect the way you went about performing normal duties in your everyday life for yourself and your family. This can include playing physical activities with your kids, cleaning the house, dropping your kids off to and from school and extracurricular activities, mowing the grass, washing the car, doing laundry, etc. You may have to constantly rely on someone else to fulfill these tasks, which may impact you and everyone else around you negatively.
Loss of Companionship – If an Amtrak derailment caused you to lose a loved one, that death can leave a very lasting damage. You lose the quality of life you once enjoyed with that person in the past and cannot build a future moving forward.
Lost Wages – If you suffered serious injuries in an Amtrak accident, this may prevent you from working, which results in lost wages and hinders you from paying your bills on time. This cycle can put you in financial debt.
How can an attorney help?
If you or a loved one were in an Amtrak accident and have suffered injuries, you should seek guidance from a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. They can guide you through your options and help you file a lawsuit, improving the likelihood of you getting the compensation you deserve.
An experienced personal injury lawyer such as the car accident lawyer Central Phoenix, AZ locals trust can help you gather necessary evidence, communicate with insurance companies on your behalf and represent you in court. The majority of personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, so there is no fee unless you win your case.
Thanks to authors at Kamper Estrada LLP for their insight into Personal Injury.