Boston Trolley Accident Lawsuit Filed by Two Passengers

Two women injured in a Boston trolley crash have filed personal injury lawsuits against the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the driver of the trolley, Aiden Quinn, who pled not guilty on Monday to charges of gross negligence for sending a text message at the time of the accident.

The Boston trolley lawsuit was filed in Suffolk Superior Court on behalf of Rebecca Bishop and Jennifer Levi, seeking compensations for personal injury sustained in the May 8 accident that left 62 people injured. The crash occurred when a trolley operated by Quinn rear-ended another trolley.

Lynn fractured her pelvis in the accident, and Levi, who is pregnant, suffered a wrist injury and is concerned about potential injury to her unborn child.

Quinn, 24, has allegedly admitted to authorities that he was sending a text message to his girlfriend right before his train crashed into another trolley on Boston’s Green Line beneath Government Center. Quinn allegedly told officials that he did not see a yellow or red light that he went through before impacting the leading train. He was arraigned on Monday in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of gross negligence, and could face up to three years in prison if convicted of the felony charge.

The MBTA fired Quinn after the accident, and has banned drivers from carrying electronic devices on the job.

The Boston trolley accident was the one of several which have plagued commuter rail lines in recent months, most of which involve one train rear-ending another.

On Saturday, at least 47 people were injured in a San Francisco light rail accident, where a commuter train slammed into the back of another train. Investigators are trying to determine whether the driver inappropriately switched the train from automatic to manual before the crash, overriding the automated safety features.

On June 22, nine people were killed and 80 others were injured in a Washington, D.C. Metro red line accident, where the striking train was travelling so fast at the time of impact that it went airborne after colliding with the rear of another subway train outside of Fort Totten station. Federal investigators suspect a track malfunction may have played a part in the crash.