TRAX/TRAIN Injury Lawyer Jake Gunter (801) 373-6345. Free in-depth consult.
Have you been involved in a Utah train accident? Utah’s train system is called the Frontrunner and TRAX. The Utah train system operates across the Wasatch front, nearly year-round. Utah’s TRAX is a light rail system, offering convenient locations and rides to city destinations, event centers, malls and universities.
HIRING A UTAH TRAIN TRAX ACCIDENT LAWYER
Trains must operate safely and when train operators cause collisions, they are required to compensate the injured parties. The laws of negligence equally apply to the Utah train system, just like cars, motorcycles, semi-trucks, or boats that are involved in accidents causing injuries. Hiring a Utah personal injury attorney will help you sift through the applicable statute of limitations and navigate the unique aspects of insurance claims against the government.
UNIQUE ASPECTS OF UTAH TRAIN ACCIDENTS AND WHY TO HIRE A TRAIN INJURY ATTORNEY
There are several unique aspects of Utah train accidents which you should know about.
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. Whenever a government actor is involved in a train accident, or any Utah personal injury event causing injury, there can be shortened statute of limitations. See a fuller article here about Utah’s personal injury statute of limitations. The short of this matter is that personal injury actions involving a government actor have much shorter statute of limitations. The Utah Governmental Immunity Act governs the statute of limitations and can be found at Utah Code Ann. 63G-7-1 (2018).
Any Utah personal injury attorney who regularly handles Utah train accident insurance claims will always take another fresh look at the Utah Governmental Immunity Act when faced with a government Frontrunner claim. The Governmental Immunity Act is laden with mine fields and problem areas for lawyers who do not practice Utah personal injury work regularly.
You should contact a Utah personal injury attorney to get your exact statute of limitations, but in general, a governmental statute of limitations is one year to make a claim and another year to file a lawsuit, or resolve the claim. The Governmental Immunity Act will apply to Utah train accidents and it should be reviewed carefully when handling Utah train accidents. The shortened statute of limitations will equally apply to Frontrunner accidents or TRAX train accidents.
UTAH TRAIN ACCIDENT FORCES. Just like Utah semi-truck or 18 wheeler accidents, trains carry an enormous amount of weight and force behind their collisions. It goes without saying that the ability to injure or cause a train fatality is greatly increased. As a result of greater forces, Utah train injuries tend to be more severe. The more severe the train injuries, the more the need to project future medical expenses and future lost wages or impaired ability to work. Hiring the right Utah train accident lawyer who has a big enough law firm with enough financial ability to hire the best expert witness to prove your damages matters greatly.
COMPARATIVE FAULT AND TRAIN PASSENGERS. Another unique aspect to Utah train accidents is comparative fault. It is generally impossible for a train passenger to bear any fault regarding any Utah train accident. The same holds true for passengers in Utah motorcycle accidents or car accidents. As a result, the legal fault is generally apportioned, or divided, between the train and the car that were involved in the train accident. Sometimes the train operator is completely at fault for the train accident. Other times, the car pulled out in front of the train, causing the collision. Still, other times the total 100 percent fault for the train accident is divided in a 70/30 fashion where the car is 70 percent at fault and the train 30 percent at fault.
Hiring a solid Utah personal injury attorney to help you navigate who is at-fault in the Utah train accident will take some of the stress off you and let you deal with getting better.
FREE CONSULTATION FOR TRAIN ACCIDENT INJURY CLAIMANTS