Victims of the Metro train crash still want to know what the root cause of the June 22, 2009 Metro train crash was. Those injured in the train accident and families of those killed anxiously await the NTSB report and conclusions on this matter.
What is clear already though, is that there were and still are problems in Metro’s train control system. Federal regulators have already urged Metro to come up with a back-up system to control its trains immediately to detect failures such as the signaling failure that was a cause of the June 22, 2009 Metro Train Accident.
The site of the crash is still being examined and the tracks were actually Closed yesterday between Fort Totten and Silver Spring on the Red Line of Washington D.C.’s Metro system so that additional tests to the track could be conducted. Investigators are also looking into site line tests in order to determine what the striking train operator saw (or should have seen).
Metro officials have indicated that they expect to use federal stimulus money to pay for the desperately and urgently needed back-up system. Families of those killed in the Metro Train Crash need to understand the complexities of Washington, D.C.’s wrongful death law and survival law and act quickly.
For wrongful death claims in Washington, D.C. There is a one year statute of limitations (it is 3 years for the estate’s survival claim). This short statute of limitations for the wrongful death claim works to the disadvantage of family members of those killed because the short time frame can pass while family is still grieving. In Washington, D.C. it is very important that family members of those killed due to the negligence of others consult with an attorney immediately after the incident.
For more information about D.C. Wrongful Death and Survival law, call our personal injury attorneys at (888) 213-8140 (we are located in downtown Silver Spring very close to the Metro Station).