Sky Train Derailment Injures Maintenance Worker in Miami

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on December 29, 2015

One of the Sky Train’s at Miami’s International Airport derailed early Tuesday morning, December 22nd, sending one car onto the roof of Concourse D and another off the end of the track. A maintenance worker who was aboard the train during the 2 a.m. maintenance run was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and was subsequently released. By late Tuesday afternoon, the cars had been removed from the roof of the concourse, but no timeline was in place to reopen Sky Train service. Thousands of airport travelers were forced to negotiate the concourse on foot, a task that can take upwards of twenty minutes during peak times.

Fortunately for MIA travelers, this accident occurred very early in the morning, at a time when the fewest number of people are aboard the train. If the incident occurred in the middle of the afternoon, many more people would have been injured. Or, had one of the derailed cars fallen through the roof, travelers below could have been crushed by falling debris. It is unknown at this time what caused the cars to derail, though it appears the train crashed through the wall at the end of the track due to a failure to slow down and stop.

Crystal Mover is the company that is currently under contract to service and maintain the Sky Train operation at Miami International. Maintenance technicians that work on the Sky Train are employed directly by Crystal Mover, instead of the county. Crystal Mover is a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Sumitomo Corporation, the same companies that designed and built the trains themselves. Problems related to the operation or design of the train would ultimately fall on Crystal Mover’s shoulders in the event of an accident. For now, fortunately, they do not have to address any injuries, beyond damages to Miami International Airport’s facilities.

If you or someone you love was an innocent victim in an accident, please call us today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.