Train Accidents Help
Railroad Injuries and Train Accidents
Thousands of workers and travelers are injured each year in railroad accidents as a result of negligence by the companies who operate the railroads or their employees.
Railroad companies have an obligation under the Federal Employees Liability Act (FELA), to keep their workers safe and to protect them from an unnecessary risk of injury.
When these corporations fail to provide their employees with safe working conditions, they can suffer on-the-job injuries or exposure to hazardous chemicals that can leave them severely injured and unable to work.
Many individuals and railroad workers who have been injured as a result of train accidents have filed railroad lawsuits under FELA against the companies that operate the trains or their employees.
Railroad companies can be held accountable under FELA laws when they fail to provide adequate training, equipment, safety conditions or take other steps which are necessary for railroad workers to do their jobs safely.
People can also suffer railroad injuries when they are traveling by train, or driving or walking near railroad crossings or tracks. According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), about 3,000 train accidents occur in the United States each year, leading to about 1,000 deaths annually.
A train collision or derailment occurs about every 90 minutes. Approximately once every two weeks, a train carrying hazardous or toxic materials goes off the tracks.
Railroad crossing accidents are the greatest health hazard from trains for the general public. According to the FRA, 80% of railroad crossings don’t have adequate warning devices, which can leave drivers or pedestrians unaware that a train is approaching until it is too late.
Poor equipment maintenance or employee training by the railroad companies, as well as negligence on the part of railroad workers, can also increase the likelihood of a railroad crossing accident.
Experienced train accident lawyers can help you if you have suffered because of a railroad crossing accident, workplace injury or any other type of train accident.
