Many people trust public transportation to get them to their destinations inexpensively, efficiently and—most importantly—safely. Tragically, on the morning of September 29, 2016 that trust was broken when a New Jersey Transit (NJT) rush-hour commuter train barreled into Hoboken Station at more than twice the speed limit. More than 100 people were injured and one person was killed. Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, a 34-year-old attorney, was standing on the train platform when she was crushed by falling debris from a partial collapse of the terminal.
Lawyers for the family have now filed a lawsuit in the matter. One of them, Philadelphia attorney Tom Kline, told the news media: “This is the first step on the road to achieving just compensation for the family of Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, a loving young mother, spouse and talented lawyer who tragically and unnecessarily died in the horrific Hoboken crash.”
The filing blames NJT for not implementing necessary safety technology and improvements, including positive train control—an advanced system designed to automatically stop a train to prevent train-to-train collisions, train movements through misaligned track switches and derailments caused by excessive speed. The lawsuit also alleges the agency failed to properly screen employees for potential medical issues, as it was later reported that Engineer Thomas Gallagher suffered from a form of sleep apnea that had not been previously diagnosed.
If you or a loved one suffered serious injury due to a train, bus, truck or car accident, please contact Kline & Specter online or call us directly at 800-243-1100 to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced trial lawyers. Our team of more than 40 attorneys includes five accomplished doctors-lawyers and can give you peace of mind while navigating potentially complex litigation.
