An overwhelming majority of serious railroad accidents take place on level crossings. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia has 9, 409 railway crossings. Of these, 2,574 private grade crossings, 1,852 public and at-grade, 1,852 grade-separated, and 3,764 closed crossings. A lot of these crossings are not equipped with critical safety features that warn people in the area when […]
Negligence and Liability in Virginia Railroad Crossing Accidents
3 Reasons Why an Injured Railroad Worker Should Hire a FELA Lawyer
The work environment of railroad employees often entails a variety of stressful and hazardous conditions. The provision and implementation of a safe work environment for the employees, whether while operating a train, driving a crew, or working on railway maintenance, is the railway employer’s legal responsibility. But every now and then, things do take a turn for the worse, resulting […]
What Are a Victim’s Legal Options if Injured in a Train Crash?
According to the National Transportation Safety Bureau, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every two hours. Approximately 1,000 people are killed each year in train-related accidents. This number has seen a steady increase each year since 1997. Some of the more common types of train accidents include: Train-car crashes Train-person crash Train-train crash Derailment National statistics […]
Pursuing Damages in a Train-Related Accident
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are approximately 1,000 people injured in train-related accidents each year. Another 300 people are killed. There are many different types of train-related accidents that occur, but they all have one thing in common: Victims who suffer injuries and losses from these accidents can file train accident claims or lawsuits for […]
What Duties Do Railroads and Landowners Have to Prevent Crashes at Private Crossings?
More than 6,700 miles of railroad track exist in Virginia, and those tracks cross thousands of driveways, business lots and private roads. Nearly every one of those private railroad crossings lacks the flashing warning lights and automatic gates drivers, bike riders and pedestrians have grown to expect on public roads and highways. In fact, a majority of private railroad crossings […]
Fatal Indiana Train Crossing Crash Prompts Concerns About Safety
A railroad crossing accident that killed a 74-year-old woman in Edinburgh, Indiana is sparking new worries about crossing safety across the state. The woman, Sharon Gobin, was killed after her car was hit by a train that was rolling through downtown Edinburgh at 1 PM on November 20. The accident is still under investigation, but it has been confirmed that […]
Cleveland Has One of the Most Dangerous Crossings in the US
Reports from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) show that a Cleveland, Ohio train crossing is one of the most dangerous in the United States. The FRA report states that the crossing is at the 8200 block of Bessemer Avenue in Cleveland. The report indicates that the crossing is in the top 15 of railroad crossings in the US with 12 […]
Fatal Train Accident in Massachusetts Highlights RR Crossing Safety
A 59 year old man was killed on March 12 in Longmeadow, Massachusetts when his work truck was struck at a railroad crossing by an Amtrak plow train. The death of the man at the railroad crossing has brought up many worries and complaints from many in the community. Many feel that there should be additional safety features at that […]
Owasso, OK Man Blames Railroad Crossing Crash on Malfunction
A man in Oswasso, Oklahoma is blaming faulty railroad lights and gates for him slamming into a train on Feb. 1, causing himself minor injuries and serious damage to his car. Witnesses say that they were not surprised that the lights were allegedly not working and gates not functioning. Some say that it is a frequent occurence when trains roar […]
58 Year Old Woman Seriously Hurt in RR Crossing Crash
A 58 year old woman was seriously injured on Dec. 9 at 8 am when her Pontiac SUV was struck by a commuter train heading towards Boston, Massachusetts. The serious railroad crossing crash happened in Belmont, MA. The Massachusetts State Police stated that there were three children in the SUV as well. The six year old was still in the […]