Alabama Personal Injury Blog - derailment

TRAIN DERAILMENTS WREAK HAVOC

Jason Knowles — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:59:51 GMT

With so much technology today in our fast-paced world, when I think of trains I think of dinosaurs. We almost forget about the massive machines as they roll through our cities and towns. That is, until you hear about a tragedy, such as the one in Albertville, Alabama recently where a train derailed, killing the conductor. According to an article in The Gadsden Times, dated June 25, 2009, the conductor on a 75-car Alabama-Tennessee River Railroad train was crushed between a tanker and a pile of scrap metal when the train slid off the tracks while dropping tankers at Progress Rail, near Albertville.

I am reminded of the interesting case arising out of North Dakota, where residents of a small North Dakota town have tried to sue Canadian Pacific Railway over a 2002 derailment that sent a cloud of toxic anhydrous ammonia from farm fertilizer over the town. One man died trying to escape the fumes and others were treated at hospitals for eye and lung injuries. The U. S. Supreme Court has recently refused to block the lawsuit. In 2006, a U. S. district judge ruled that federal law protected Canadian Pacific from claims stemming from the derailment. After Congress changed the law the same year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled that the claims could proceed.

Train derailment tragedies such as these remind us of the dangers of trains and of the need for greater safety measures in the industry.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jason Knowles

Chicago Train Derails Sending Dozens to the Hospital

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:10:23 GMT

An Amtrak train traveling to Chicago from Grand Rapids derailed and plowed into the back of a freight train, Friday, injuring dozens of people.

Eight of the 187 passengers were seriously injured in the train accident, according to authorities.

Three people in the engine of the Amtrak train, apparently all Amtrak employees, were among the most seriously injured, said Larry Langford, a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department. Four people were trapped, and at least one had to be freed with cutting equipment.

The train accident occurred at 11:30 a.m. and it was not immediately known what caused the accident. The front of the Amtrak train came to rest on top of the freight train, rising above the track, its nose crushed in.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Truck and Green Line Train collide in Boston

Staff Writer — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:56:48 GMT

A story out of Boston today details a metro green line train crash that held up the morning commute for many and caused three injuries.

WCVBTV/DT 5 reports the story, saying that the trolley train crash occurred at 7:15 a.m. when a flatbed truck was crossing the tracks at Beacon Street. The truck driver and two others were injured in the train accident. There is no update on the severity of these injuries.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a train or motor vehicle accident, click on the form to the right of this page for a free case evaluation.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Two fatal train crashes in two days on same route

Staff Writer — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:11:42 GMT

In a tragic story out of Florida, two train-vehicle collisions resulted in injury and death on the same Amtrack route just two days apart.

Forbes.com reported the details of both accidents involving Amtrack trains en route from Miami to New York. On Monday four people died in a car that reportedly drove around another car and barriers into the path of a train full of passengers in Lakeland, Florida. The train had no time to slow down, and all four people in the car were killed upon impact.

Then on Tuesday a truck hauling industrial garbage collided with another Amtrack passenger train in Plant City, Florida, just west of Lakeland. In this case, the truck was crossing a marked, private railroad crossing in an industrial park.

Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Larry Coggins offers the following details about Tuesday's crash:

Witnesses tell us that it was obvious the train was coming, the train was hitting all of its whistles at the appropriate whistle marks," Coggins said. "The truck drove onto the tracks in front of the oncoming train."

The Florida Railroad Administration reports 28 accidents involving vehicles at CSX railroad crossings since 2004 in Hillsborough County, the location of Tuesday's accident.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to our section on Airline, Bus, Cruise, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Fatal weekend wreck claims three lives

Staff Writer — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:55:09 GMT

A rising senior at University of Alabama and three other passengers died in a tragic weekend car crash on a Georgia highway, reports The Crimson White campus newspaper.

The UA senior reportedly died in the accident that happened around midnight when the driver of a 2005 Jeep Liberty lost control of the SUV and flipped the vehicle several times. Apparently three other passengers who were not wearing seatbelts also died in the terrible one-car accident.

The driver and front seat passenger, who were both wearing seatbelts, survived the accident and were listed in stable condition.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you may want to discuss your case with a personal injury attorney. For a free evaluation, click on the form to the right of this page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Railroad safety becomes big issue in Alabama

Staff Writer — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:58:00 GMT

CSX and retired NASCAR driver Bobby Allison are combining efforts to publicize railroad-crossing safety among the general public at the Talladega Superspeedway, said a report from The Associated Press.

Train collisions have recently been responsible for a number of deaths in Alabama, so CSX has created a public safety campaign entitled, "Keep on Living." This will include radio public service announcements and billboards educating the public on safety when crossing train tracks.

The story reports:

Six people died in three rail accidents earlier this year, leading to a summit on rail safety between government officials, industry executives and safety advocates. The "Keep on Living" campaign was a result of that meeting.
Operation Lifesaver, a co-sponsor of the promotion, said Alabama is among the worst states for crossing deaths.
The Alabama Department of Transportation says the state has about 3,800 railroad crossings, including 2,200 that are unmarked.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Another side to the train safety debate

Staff Writer — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:55:48 GMT

In an article last week in The Decatur Daily, residents in Falkville protested over the CSX recommendation of closing a railroad crossing after deadly accidents have occurred there.

CSX blieves that the safety of motorists and its own employees is at stake.

Cain, a former locomotive engineer, said safety is the driving force behind CSX's appeal.
"We're running 32 trains per day through town, and we're getting ready to increase that number to 50," he said. "In an accident, you'll lose you're loved ones and our crew will lose their sanity."
Cain said there had been four fatalities at the crossing. A resident reminded him that three came in one accident.

The Alabama Department of Transportation has the authority to close the crossing if it sees fit. Many local business owners feel that the flow of traffic to their businesses would be affected by closing the crossing.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Train crossing safety up for debate

Staff Writer — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:40:29 GMT

An interesting article from The Decatur Daily addresses the need for crossing gates at railroad crossing, and the lack of action from the roilroad companies.

The columnist points to the recent death of a man in Limestone County, who died after being hit by a train while operating farming equipment. If there had been an automated gate to warn him of the train, this man's life would have been spared. The crossing where he was killed still does not have a crossing gate.

The columnist gets to what he believes is the heart of the problem.

Johnny Harris, chief of Division 1 of the Alabama Department of Transportation, said funding for crossing guards is limited and comes entirely from taxpayer funds.
"Their position," Harris said of the railroads, "is we were here first. You're crossing us; we're not crossing you."
Railroads are happy to install crossing gates, Harris said, provided someone else pays for them.
"Strict liability" is a liability scheme in which the defendant must pay damages for an accident even if it was blameless. It may offend our concept of fairness, but it provides economic efficiencies. By shifting the cost of a social goal -- avoidance of death -- to a profit-seeking entity, it harnesses the market's powers of risk assessment and innovation. It also, of course, increases that entity's costs.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Van-train collision claims four lives

Staff Writer — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:45:24 GMT

An deadly train accident early Thursday morning is said to have been the Thorsby area's sixth train-vehicle wreck in just two years, according to The Birmingham News.

Eight men were riding in a van when they collided with a 38-car CSX train that was hauling automobiles and had two locomotives. Residents and others say the railroad crossing was missing an arm of the "X" and had a damaged sign.

The van was crushed by the collision's impact and rolled into a ditch. Four of the people in the van were killed in the crash and others were injured.

This was the sixth vehicle-train accident to occur within a 1.5 mile area that includes three crossings; and it was also the second vehicle-train accident that caused deaths.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Area evacuated after Kentucky train derailment

Staff Writer — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:42:14 GMT

A major train crash occurred in Kentucky yesterday, when several train cars carrying flammable substances derailed and exploded.

A section of Interstate 65 was closed, and many nearby homes, schools and businesses evacuated due to fears of contamination in the area due to the chemical fire.

Bullitt County resident Daymon Strange said he was outside his home less than a half-mile from the crash site when he heard an explosion.
"I turned around and looked and there was fire at least 500 feet in the air," he said in a telephone interview. "I've never seen such a fire. It was huge."
Strange said he smelled the fumes even though they were blowing away from his home.

This Kentucky train derailment was the second train explosion in two days. On Monday, a similar train accident occurred in Central Kentucky, when four train cars crashed into two parked locomotives and caught fire. This train crash also prompted an evacuation due to a spilled chemical.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer