Clifford Law Offices Files Suit Against Railroads in Bicyclist's Death; Eyewitness States Railroad Employee Directed Her to Cross Tracks

Clifford Law Offices filed a lawsuit, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005, against Metra and the Burlington-Northern Railroad on behalf of the daughters of a woman killed by a commuter train last month.

Patricia G. Quane, 52, of Oak Park was crossing the tracks on Aug. 23 at Riverside when an express train struck and killed her. Quane was a speech pathologist who was President-Elect of the Oak Park Bicycle Club.

The complaint alleges that a key witness near Quane observed a railroad employee at the scene beckon her and other pedestrians to cross the tracks. Earlier, the derailment of a Burlington-Northern freight train at that intersection had drawn railroad employees to the scene to set the derailed car back on the tracks with a crane. The key witness observed one of the workers at the control box manipulate the pedestrian gates to hold them in an up position. A railroad worker motioned for Quane and others to cross the tracks to catch a Metra commuter train at the station. The crane and stranded train parked near the scene blocked the vision of Quane who apparently did not observe the express Metra train hurtling down the third set of tracks, according to key eyewitnesses. Initially, it was inaccurately reported that Quane went around the pedestrian gates.

Clifford Law Offices also represents the family of 11-year-old Victor Olivera who was killed on his bicycle by a Metra train last year in Glenview. Robert A. Clifford and Kevin P. Durkin obtained a $30 million verdict on behalf of internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton who was severely injured by a Metra train in 1995.

Clifford Law Offices also has filed a number of lawsuits in the last 10 days in the Metra derailment of the Rock Island line that derailed when changing tracks.