At the time he boarded his 5:54 a.m. Sunday train from Poughkeepsie to Manhattan, 22-year N.Y.P.D. veteran Eddie Russell was leaving his home in New Windsor, N.Y. to head off to work. However, as a result of injuries he sustained from Sunday’s Metro North derailment near Spuyten Duyvil, N.Y., it is unlikely that he’ll be able work on the force again. Russell, with the help of NYC train accident lawyer Robert Vilensky, recently initiated a $10 million suit against the MTA, Metro North and other New York state and city agencies for various injuries and permanent disabilities he sustained from Sunday’s Metro North derailment. In his pending lawsuit, the second such suit arising from Sunday’s Metro North derailment, Russell holds these parties liable for negligence and carelessness in failing to take certain precautions and other steps to ensure safety of both the passengers and the train itself.
How Sunday’s Metro North Derailment Occurred
Sunday’s Metro North derailment had occurred almost two hours after Russell’s southbound Metro North train left Poughkeepsie. As has been widely reported, train engineer William Rockefeller—who had never before operated a Metro North train for an early-morning departure—was falling asleep at the wheel as the train through a dangerous curve on the track near Spuyten Duyvil’s Metro North station. Although a similar derailment incident had occurred in the same area in July 2013, there were no signs or emergency braking protocols in place that could have reasonably prevented the accident and ensured the safety of the train, crew and the 100-150 passengers who were onboard. According to a New York Times article on the accident, Russell had been listening to Jay-Z with his eyes closed at the time of Sunday’s Metro North derailment. “I’m thinking I’m going into the water,” Russell said. “I was thinking of me, surviving.” Although Russell was lucky to not have been one of the four passengers who died from the Metro North derailment, he was one of the more than 60 passengers who sustained injuries from the Metro North crash. With the help of Attorney Vilensky, Russell seeks to claim compensation for the various injuries and permanent disabilities he sustained from the Metro North derailment.
Sunday’s Metro North derailment was the latest in a series of controversial incidents involving the Metro North train system. One of the main contentions in Russell’s claim brings up another derailment involving garbage freight cars that occurred in the same area of Sunday’s incident. Although July’s derailment incident had unilaterally suspended service on Metro North’s Hudson Line, the MTA made no effort to improve this section of the track or provide adequate warnings to prevent similar derailments. Additionally, Metro North’s New Haven line was shut down in September as a result of a power outage, putting the line out of service for 12 days. Two additional Metro North accidents occurred in May, when one Metro North passenger train struck and killed a rail foreman in West Haven, Conn., while two other trains collided in Bridgeport, Conn., injuring over 70 people.
How Our NY Train Accident Lawyers Can Help
Ronemus and Vilensky LLP is among the law firms leading the way in helping the victims of Sunday’s Metro North derailment near Spuyten Duyvil, N.Y. Russell’s suit is the second of four current pending suits related to the incident.
If you sustained injuries from Sunday’s Metro North derailment or another train accident, click here to contact the experienced and compassionate New York train accident lawyers at Ronemus and Vilensky. Our experienced NY train accident lawyers will meet with you to discuss your case and research relevant laws and state cases to see whether you have a possible claim. If we find that you do have a possible claim, our New York train accident lawyers will also help develop a legal strategy that will help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact Ronemus and Vilensky today to set up an initial consultation with one of our experienced NY train accident lawyers, and let us help you take the first step toward getting the justice you deserve.
