Train Accident in Sacramento Kills Pedestrian
A train accident in Sacramento on November 10 resulted in the death of a pedestrian. According to the report, the accident happened at Western and South avenues in the Johnson Heights area. The Sacramento Fire Department was called to the scene at about 8:10 in the evening after the accident was reported. Upon arrival, they discovered a deceased person lying along the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad. Officers with the Sacramento Police Department arrived to conduct an investigation into how the accident occurred. An official with the county coroner’s office was on hand to recover the body. The accident is being investigated by the Sacramento police. The name of the individual who was killed has not yet been released pending notification of the family.
Losing a Loved One in a Train Accident
A pedestrian train accident can be brutal for family members to deal with. Not only do you receive the news that a loved one died but that they were killed in a catastrophic incident. When this happens, many family members are in shock and feel anger and disbelief. They spend many hours asking how this could happen and if they could have prevented it. Of course, their guilt is unfounded. However, the train conductors may have been able to intervene in time.
What Can a Family Do to Help?
There are a few things other family members and friends can do to help ease the burden of a sudden death after a train crash:
- Help with basic needs: Many times, an individual will neglect to eat properly or may be unable to find time to sleep. This saps their strength for the days ahead as they make funeral arrangements. Family members can help by bringing them meals they might enjoy or inviting them for dinner. Offering to do some of the tasks on the person’s checklist is also helpful.
- Let them talk about the accident: The train accident or other reason for the person’s demise is front and center on the loved one’s mind. Let the bereaved talk about their loss.
- Help them with tasks: After a person’s death, their family members face a bevy of tasks the deceased handled when they were alive. This can include taking children to school or preparing meals. Offer to do the tasks until permanent arrangements can be made.
- Make them feel safe: One overriding fear grieving family members often have is that they worry the accident can happen again. Help them feel safe. If they are uneasy about driving, for example, offer to take them wherever they need to go.
- Don’t disappear: After the burial, many helpful family members resume their own schedules, believing the person is doing the same. They will eventually, but those first weeks living without the loved one who passed can be brutal.
Watch the following video presented by attorney Ed Smith on wrongful death lawsuits:
What an Attorney Can Do to Help
Immediately after a train accident, the area is swarming with police and other authorities, rescue workers, and train employees. This sets in motion the long task of determining what went wrong. At our firm, we dispatch our investigative team to the accident scene. They work to analyze the situation and discover tell-tale evidence. They speak with authorities and witnesses to obtain a clear view of the crash. Many times, they reenact the crash using accident reconstruction computer techniques. Once this data is accumulated, the investigators are able to release it to our lawyers to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the defendants.
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento wrongful death lawyer. The death of a loved one is a difficult experience and even more so when it was caused by negligence. Phone me at (916) 921-6400 for my free and friendly advice or at (800) 404-5400 long-distance. An online form is available if you prefer.
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Since 1982, I’ve upheld the rights of Sacramento residents to fair compensation for their accident injuries, whether it is a traumatic injury, traffic collision, or government entity claim caused by negligence.
Photo Attribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9-lg0clbRM; https://pixabay.com/photos/death-funeral-coffin-mourning-2421820/
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