Man Killed in Chicago Electrocution Accident At Red Line Station in Loop

Unsafe Premises - August 21, 2025

Victim Electrocuted on Loop Train Platform After Making Contact With Third Rail at Red Line Station on North State Street

Man Killed in Chicago Electrocution Accident At Red Line Station in Loop

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (August 19, 2025) – A man died after being electrocuted on the train platform at a Red Line Station after coming into contact with an energized third rail.

Chicago police officials are saying that the accident took place around 4:45 AM on Monday. The victim was on some type of train platform at the redline station when he came into contact with an electrified third rail.

Paramedics were called to the scene of the accident to help the victim. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Red Line services temporarily bypass the Lake Station as authorities work to investigate the incident. A full investigation into the Red Line Station electrocution at the Loop remains ongoing.

Liability for Red Line Station Electrocution Accidents

Train stations across Chicago have to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. When a property owner has actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition on their property, they must take action to correct that dangerous condition. If a property owner fails to take reasonable measures to protect guests from electrocution, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. There are several measures that should be taken to prevent such accidents.

  • The Chicago Transit Authority can install fences and physical barriers around electrified rails.
  • The Chicago Transit Authority should have staff that can intervene if they witness passengers approaching active hazards.
  • The Chicago Transit Authority should have plenty of signs that warn of the risks of coming into contact with electrified rails. Electrical hazards are not always open and obvious, particularly if the CTA fails to put up warning signs.

The CTA can be held liable for electrocutions on their property. Consider, for example, Lee v. Chicago Transit Authority. In that case, a man stepped onto the tracks at a CTA station and was electrocuted and killed after coming into contact with an energized third rail. His family filed a lawsuit against the CTA and claimed that they had a duty of ordinary care to protect against this harm, even though the victim was a trespasser. A jury held that the CTA can be liable for third-rail electrocutions, even in cases where a victim was not lawfully on a set of tracks.

Preserving Evidence After Chicago Transit Authority Accidents

It is essential that evidence be properly preserved after any accident involving an injury at a Red Line Station. Evidence will be crucial in demonstrating that one or more defendants was actually responsible for some incident. Below are just a few of the items that should be reviewed.

  • Medical Records: All of the medical records related to an injury should be collected and preserved. They can help establish what took place.
  • Surveillance Footage: Another important piece of evidence is the surveillance footage that may have captured the accident or the events leading up to it.
  • Prior Incidents: It is important to determine if there’s been a history of prior incidents at any accident site. A history of similar accidents at some property can act as constructive notice of a dangerous condition.
  • Eyewitnesses: People that may have witnessed an accident can also play an important role in establishing what went wrong.

Unfortunately, property owners will virtually never accept responsibility for injuries and deaths that take place on their premises. They will often claim that it was the victim who was entirely at fault. But the truth of the matter is that property owners can still be held liable for accidents even if the injured party was partially responsible for what happened. Illinois is one of many states that operates on the basis of comparative negligence.

Investigating Cook County Electrocution Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of the man killed in this electrocution at the Red Line Station on North State Street in the Loop. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. Many questions remain unanswered at this time. Is there a history of similar incidents at this station or other CTA stations? Were there physical barriers around the electrified third rail? Were there warning signs?

Do you need more information about an accident at a Red Line station in the Loop? Our team of transportation safety advocates is here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping accident victims understand their rights and making sure that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.