Railroad Negligence & FELA

When a crossing gate does not work, a light is defective or a warning does not sound, a railroad has failed to exercise its ordinary duty of care. Should an injury or death occur as a result of the railroad’s negligence, Corboy & Demetrio has the experience and the resources necessary to pursue such serious and often expensive cases.

Our skilled attorneys have the expertise required in all areas of railroad negligence. That exceptional experience, combined with a deep commitment, dedication and compassion and a relentless drive to achieve justice and fair and full compensation, has resulted in outstanding verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Below is a sample of the results we have achieved.

• A $22.5 million settlement for the victim of the Rockford train derailment.
• A $6.5 million settlement for the family of a dance instructor killed by train.
• A $29.6 million record-setting verdict secured by Corboy & Demetrio Partners Thomas Demetrio and William Gibbs for a passenger injured when a Metra train derailed and crashed. It is the largest verdict in Illinois for an individual injured in a mass transit crash.

• Over $41 million has been recovered for 27 of the 35 victims or their families represented by Corboy & Demetrio in the 2005 Metra train crash.  

• In a highly publicized and tragic railroad collision, Corboy & Demetrio represented the families of three high-school students killed and seven others injured when a commuter train collided with a school bus in northwest suburban Chicago. The global settlement on the case was over $25 million. Thomas Demetrio served as lead plaintiffs' counsel in the litigation stemming from the tragedy. The accident led to the nationwide inspections of 3,000 rail crossings with similar equipment and to new safety procedures and training of bus operators in the school district in which the collision occurred.
• In another railroad case, Corboy & Demetrio obtained a $7.5 million verdict - the highest amount awarded in Illinois to an individual suffering the loss of a limb - after the plaintiff was struck by a train.
• In a case handled by Partner Patrick Murphy, a Cook County jury awarded nearly $3 million to a man who lost half of his left leg and part of his right foot in a train accident.
• Corboy & Demetrio served as lead counsel in litigation stemming from the crash of an Amtrak train in Bourbonnais, Illinois. On behalf of the victims represented by our firm, millions were recovered for the victims or the victims’ families.
• In pre-trial mediation conferences, attorneys for the families of three railroad workers electrocuted on the job reached settlement agreements with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company, Taylor Machine Works and Commonwealth Edison totaling $10 million. Corboy & Demetrio represented the family of one of the victims. The firm also settled a FELA claim on behalf of the estate of an employee of the Union Pacific railroad company for $1.4 million. The employee was struck by a train while working with the Union Pacific on a surfacing gang.

Our representation includes but is not limited to the following areas:

Professionals

Successes