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Plainfield Family Settles Lawsuit for 2003 Metra Derailment

Plainfield Family Settles Lawsuit for 2003 Metra Derailment


The three members of the Kuk family were on the Metra train as it went across the 47th Street crossover on the southside of Chicago. The train was going 69 mph at a portion of the track that was a 10 mph zone. The resulting derailment caused the five-car train to jump the tracks.

Steven and Kathryn Kuk were traveling with their 22-year-old daughter, Megan. Steven and Megan had minor injuries. But Kathryn was thrown from her seat and back again before flying to the floor of the train car. The derailment injured her back, which required several surgeries since then in order to ease her pain. However, it is difficult for Kathryn to sit for long periods of time. Her husband reports that even going to a movie and sitting for two hours is difficult.

The cause of the crash was determined to be driver distraction. Metra plans to implement a new computer program that will help override the system and prevent trains from disobeying signals that can lead to derailments.

When a derailment occurs, passengers and other bystanders can be seriously  injured. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in an accident with a train, call Spiros Law, P.C., at (815) 929-9292 for legal representation.