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Rail Accidents

About 150 rail accidents occur each year in the United States. The National Transportation Board is the government agency assigned to oversee the rail industry in the U.S. NTSB estimates that between 80% and 90% of rail accidents are the result of human error, making costly mistakes of judgment the number one cause of rail accidents.

Most accidents occur between freight trains and may be the result of miscommunication between conductors and train station personnel. Others are the result of train operator negligence, including operating trains under the influence of alcohol, or poor judgment calls as a result of overwork or lack of sleep. The most horrific rail accidents involve passenger trains and automobiles. In July of 2002, an Amtrak rail collision near Washington, DC, killed nearly 200 people when the Amtrak train derailed. Earlier that year, in April, 2002, a MetroLink commuter train collided head-on with a freight train coming down its track. Two people were killed and over 250 people suffered personal injury as a result of that train accident.

Source: National Transportation Safety Board.

Poor Train Tracks

Amtrak, considered the "nation's rail," is a publicly subsidized company. Apart from a significant portion of track in the Northeast Corridor of the United States, an area that covers Washington, DC, to New York, New York, Amtrak's trains ride on railroad tracks built by large freight corporations like CSX. A Pulitzer-prize winning study by Walt Bogdanich of the New York Times, published in October, 2004, found that the National Transportation Safety Board has grown increasingly concerned about the safety of the nearly 200,000 miles of these railroad tracks in the U.S., and for good reason.

Rail is an integral part of a growing business called intermodal transportation, which also utilizes ships and trucks to move freight around the world. Many of the world's goods, from clothing to stereo equipment to toasters, are being manufactured in the Pacific Rim, stored in shipping containers up to 53 foot long, sailed to the U.S., and then unloaded on to rail cars for the middle part of the journey. Major rail hubs then unload the containers at distribution centers, where the shipments are broken up and distributed the final leg of their journey via tractor trailer truck. This industry continued to grow and grow as manufacturing moved from the U.S. overseas, and railroads that had been forced to downsize their tracks after industry deregulation in the 1980s have found themselves overburdened on remaining rail lines. On average, 20 to 30 trains per day pass over each mile of railroad.

Source: Walt Bogdanich, "Death on the Tracks," New York Times, October 15, 2004.

Rail Operator Negligence

In some rail accident cases, train operators and dispatchers have been found negligent. Dispatching errors such as failing to warn a train operator to switch to a different track can have serious consequences and result in devastating personal injury. In some cases train operators have been found to be working under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or fallen prey to fatigue from over-scheduling. This behavior puts passengers in trains, and in cars crossing train tracks, at fatal risk of serious injury.

Why Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you are seeking a personal injury lawyer you have come to the right place. We know that accidents and injuries are an inevitable part of life, but the fact that accidental mishaps are common does not resolve the pain and suffering accidents can cause. This is especially true if that injury could have been avoided. For example, some drugs are not completely tested for safety or removed from the market despite concerns about them. Some products are found to be dangerous.

If you or a loved one have suffered in an accident, from taking a dangerous drug, using a recalled product or from any other cause, you may be thinking about how to protect your legal rights by consulting with a personal injury attorney. Learning about personal injury litigation, and cases we are currently investigating, may help you determine whether you need the counsel of an experienced personal injury lawyer from a firm such as the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin.

How We Can Help

Rail accidents can be enormously difficult cases to sort out. If you or someone you love has recently suffered serious personal injury as a result of a rail accident, commuter train accident, train derailment, or another unfortunate accident, consulting with a personal injury lawyer can be crucial first step in protecting yourself. Call us now for a free conversation about your case. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin has helped many people recover from serious personal injuries.