Train Accidents

California Train & Light-Rail Accident Attorneys

Injured in a train accident? Here is what to know.

• Yaghmai Law Firm represents train, light-rail, and railroad accident victims in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, and the San Fernando Valley.
• We handle passenger injuries, grade-crossing collisions, pedestrian strikes, derailments, Metro and Metrolink incidents, and wrongful-death claims.
• California gives you 2 years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim (CCP Section 335.1) – but only 6 months to file a government claim against Metro, Metrolink, or another public-agency operator (Gov Code Section 911.2).
• No fees unless we recover compensation. Free case review.
• Call or text (888) 800-6731 or submit your case online.

A train accident lawyer in California must coordinate Public Utilities Commission filings, Government Tort Claims, and Federal Railroad Administration evidence requests within tight deadlines. A train crash, a Metro Rail collision, or a pedestrian strike at a grade crossing can leave you or someone you love facing months of medical care, lost wages, and uncertainty about what comes next. California rail operators – Metro, Metrolink, Amtrak, and freight carriers like BNSF and Union Pacific – owe their passengers the highest degree of care under the common-carrier doctrine, and they answer to a thicket of state and federal rules when an incident occurs. We help injured passengers, pedestrians, drivers struck at crossings, and the families of those killed in railroad accidents recover compensation for their losses.

Yaghmai Law Firm represents train accident victims throughout Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, the San Fernando Valley, and across California. We handle the technical work – common-carrier liability, government claim deadlines, federal preemption issues, multi-defendant tracing – so you can focus on getting better. Every train accident case is reviewed personally by Houtan Yaghmai. There is no fee unless we win.

No Win, No Fee Train Accident Representation

Yaghmai Law Firm handles all train accident cases on a contingency basis. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you. There are no consultation fees, no retainer, and no hourly billing. We front the costs of investigating the crash, retrieving event-recorder and signal data, deposing rail operators and corporate witnesses, and consulting with railroad-safety experts. If we do not recover anything, you owe nothing.

Types of Train Accident Cases We Handle

• Passenger injury claims – sudden stops, falls on stairs and platforms, in-train collisions, derailments, electrical injuries, and assaults on Metro and Metrolink trains.
• Grade-crossing collisions – vehicles struck by a train at an at-grade rail crossing, including cases involving missing or malfunctioning warning gates, signals, and bells.
• Pedestrian and trespasser strikes – foot traffic struck by light-rail trains in street-level segments, at unauthorized crossings, on platforms, or near tracks.
• Derailments – passenger and freight train derailments caused by track defects, switch failures, mechanical defects, or excessive speed.
• Light-rail collisions – LA Metro A, B, C, D, E, K, and L Line incidents, including collisions with cars, bicycles, and pedestrians in shared right-of-way segments.
• Commuter and intercity rail – Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, and Coast Starlight passenger injury claims and wrongful-death cases.
• Freight train cases – BNSF, Union Pacific, and other freight carrier incidents affecting motorists, pedestrians, or property.
• Railroad worker injuries (FELA) – federal Employers’ Liability Act claims for engineers, conductors, and other on-track railroad employees.
• Wrongful death – claims by surviving family members after a fatal train accident.

Common Causes of California Train Accidents

• Operator error – missed signals, distraction, fatigue, excessive speed in curves, and failure to brake (the cause of the 2008 Chatsworth Metrolink collision that killed 25 people).
• Mechanical and equipment failure – brake defects, wheel and axle failures, coupler failures, door malfunctions, and onboard fires.
• Track and infrastructure defects – broken rails, misaligned switches, washouts, and unmaintained ballast.
• Inadequate warning at grade crossings – missing or broken gates, signals, and bells; obstructed sight lines; passive crossings (crossbuck-only) at high-risk locations.
• Unsafe platforms and stations – platform-edge incidents, slip-and-fall hazards, inadequate lighting, and overcrowding.
• Stopped or stuck vehicles on tracks – vehicles trapped by traffic backup, gate malfunctions, or poor crossing design.
• Trespasser and grade-crossing strikes – which still raise liability questions if the operator could have stopped or sounded warnings sooner.
• Third-party negligence – drivers who blow through crossings, contractors who leave debris on tracks, or property owners who fail to maintain crossing visibility.

Common Train Accident Injuries

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – concussions, contusions, and diffuse axonal injuries common in high-impact derailments and grade-crossing collisions.
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis – including paraplegia and quadriplegia from crush forces and ejection.
• Crush injuries and amputations – especially from rail wheels, doors, and crushing between cars or platform structures.
• Burn injuries – from electrified third-rail contact, post-collision fires, and HVAC fires in passenger cars.
• Internal organ damage – from blunt-force trauma in passenger compartments and grade-crossing impacts.
• Orthopedic injuries – fractures, dislocations, and soft-tissue injuries from sudden stops and falls.
• Lacerations and degloving injuries – from broken glass, torn metal, and ejection.
• PTSD and psychological injury – common in survivors of high-fatality derailments and grade-crossing collisions.
• Fatal injuries – in catastrophic derailments and grade-crossing strikes, where surviving family members may have a wrongful-death claim.

What Is a Train Accident Case Worth?

Every train accident case is different. Recoverable damages typically include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and (in fatal cases) the surviving family’s economic and noneconomic losses. Train cases often involve catastrophic injuries – TBIs, spinal cord injuries, amputations, severe burns – which translates to higher medical and life-care plan costs and substantially larger settlements or verdicts than typical motor vehicle cases.

Liability is often shared between the rail operator, the contractor that maintained the track or signal system, a vehicle driver, and sometimes a municipality. Cases against public agencies (Metro, Metrolink) can also include statutory damage caps and procedural hurdles that affect the bottom line. We assess each claim individually and bring in life-care planners, vocational economists, and accident reconstruction experts when the case warrants it.

California and Federal Law Governing Train Accidents

Train accident claims in California sit at the intersection of state common-carrier law and federal railroad regulation. California Civil Code Section 2100 imposes a heightened duty of “utmost care and diligence” on common carriers – including passenger rail operators – for the safety of their passengers. The general statute of limitations for personal injury is 2 years from the date of injury under CCP Section 335.1; wrongful-death claims have the same 2-year deadline.

Claims against the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), Metrolink (Southern California Regional Rail Authority), or any other public-agency operator must be preceded by a written government claim filed within 6 months of the incident under California Government Code Section 911.2. Missing that 6-month window can extinguish an otherwise meritorious case.

Claims against Amtrak and freight railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific) follow the standard 2-year deadline but are governed by overlapping federal regulation: the Federal Railroad Safety Act (49 USC Section 20106), the Locomotive Inspection Act, and (for railroad employees) the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA, 45 USC Sections 51-60). Federal preemption can limit, but does not always bar, state-law claims; the analysis depends on the specific theory of negligence and the operator involved.

Why Choose Yaghmai Law Firm for Your Train Accident Case

Train and railroad cases are technical. They turn on common-carrier doctrine, federal preemption, government claim deadlines, event-recorder and signal data, track and maintenance records, and the credibility of corporate and operator witnesses. They also tend to produce catastrophic injuries that require careful long-term financial planning. Yaghmai Law Firm is built for that kind of work. We represent train accident victims throughout Los Angeles and across California, handle the entire case on contingency, and never push a client toward a quick settlement that does not account for the real lifetime cost of their injuries. Our clients speak with their attorney directly – not through an intake screener – and we provide all communications in English, French, and Persian (Farsi), with Spanish interpretation available on request.

“Train cases are technically demanding. You have common-carrier duties, federal preemption, government claim deadlines, and multiple potential defendants – and most clients are sitting in a hospital trying to figure out how they are going to pay rent. We take all of that off your plate, and we never let a public-agency defendant run out the clock.”

– Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a train accident claim in California?

The general personal-injury statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of the accident under CCP Section 335.1. Wrongful-death claims have the same 2-year deadline. If your claim is against a public-agency operator like Metro or Metrolink, you must first file a written government claim within 6 months under Government Code Section 911.2. Missing the 6-month government-claim deadline can permanently bar your case.

Who can I sue after a Metro or Metrolink train accident?

Depending on the facts, possible defendants include the rail operator (Metro, Metrolink, Amtrak, or a freight carrier), the company that maintained the tracks or signals, the manufacturer of defective equipment, a third-party motorist whose vehicle was on the tracks, and sometimes the municipality responsible for the crossing or the surrounding roadway. We trace every potential defendant during our investigation.

What is the “common carrier” duty and how does it apply to trains?

California Civil Code Section 2100 holds common carriers – including passenger rail operators – to the highest degree of care for the safety of their passengers. That is a stricter standard than ordinary negligence and applies to Metro, Metrolink, Amtrak, and other passenger-carrying rail services. It does not apply in the same way to freight-only carriers.

What if I was a pedestrian struck by a train?

Pedestrian and grade-crossing strikes are some of the most catastrophic train cases. Liability can rest with the rail operator (for failure to sound warnings, excessive speed, or operator inattention), with the agency responsible for the crossing (for missing or broken gates, signals, or bells), or with a third party. Even if the pedestrian was in an unauthorized location, the operator can still be liable if there was a reasonable opportunity to stop or warn.

What if my loved one was killed in a train accident?

Surviving spouses, domestic partners, children, and certain other dependents may bring a wrongful-death claim under California law. Damages include the economic value of the decedent’s lost earnings and household services, as well as noneconomic losses such as loss of companionship. The same 6-month government-claim deadline applies if a public-agency operator is involved. See our wrongful death page for more.

How much does it cost to hire a train accident lawyer?

Nothing up front. Yaghmai Law Firm handles all train accident cases on contingency – we are paid only if we recover money for you, as a percentage of the recovery. There is no charge for the initial case review, and we front all litigation costs (investigation, expert witnesses, court fees) during the case.

Can I still recover if I was partially at fault?

Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence, which means you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault – your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but it is not eliminated. Even a person who was a substantial percentage at fault can still recover meaningful compensation in a serious train accident case.

How long does a train accident case take?

It depends on the complexity, the number of defendants, the severity of injuries (since we typically wait for medical care to plateau before settling), and whether the case is litigated against a public agency under the Government Claims Act. Many cases resolve in 12 to 24 months; complex cases against rail operators with disputed liability or catastrophic damages can take longer. We give every client a realistic timeline at intake and update it as the case develops.

Related Practice Areas

• Personal Injury – our personal injury practice overview.
• Bus Accidents – public-transit liability, including Metro buses, with the same 6-month government-claim deadline.
• Pedestrian Accidents – for foot-traffic injuries off the tracks, including at intersections and in parking areas near transit stations.
• Brain Injuries (TBI) – for the head and brain injuries common in derailments and grade-crossing collisions.
• Burn Injuries – for third-rail electrical burns and post-crash fires.
• Wrongful Death – if you lost a family member in a fatal train accident.
• Southern California Traffic Incidents – our CHP-sourced archive of recent collisions across SoCal.
• Submit a Case Review – free, confidential, no obligation.

Reviewed by Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney. Admitted to practice law in California (State Bar No. 298487). He represents personal injury and immigration clients statewide.

Last updated: May 30, 2026.