Mission Viejo Train Accident Attorney
Train collisions may not occur as often as car crashes, but they are 20 times more deadly. At railroad crossings in 2014, there were 2,287 train related collisions, with 269 casualties and 849 injuries. 95% of all rail-related deaths involve highway-rail crossings and trespassers.
Irvine has received its fair share of train-related accidents. In 2014, there were three automobile and trail collisions, one pedestrian trail collision, and one van and train collision at highway-rail crossings. One of these collisions resulted in a fatality. Two fatalities have occurred in 2015 already.
A train-car collision can harm more than just the people in the car. Bystanders and railroad workers may also be injured.
Train accidents can be disastrous and cause extreme bodily harm and death. The victims of a train collision have to worry about physical harm as well as financial harm caused by medical bills, lost wages, and funeral expenses. Victims of train accidents should not try to forge on alone; hiring an experienced train accident lawyer can be the difference between a lifetime of physical, mental, and financial pain and being properly relieved of these burdens.
What Causes Train Accidents?
Train accidents can be caused in several ways. The most obvious is a faulty or missing signal. Not every railroad crossing in the United States has safety measures in place. It may be missing lights, an arm to stop cars, or the bells that ring to warn cars of the train’s approach. Without these measures, traffic or pedestrians may not be able to tell a train is coming. When approaching any train track, stop and look both ways to ensure a train is not coming.
Train collisions may also be caused by aggressive driving. If a driver is in a hurry or driving aggressively, he or she may fail to stop at a railroad crossing. Properly marked and secure railroad crossings may prevent drivers from crossing them, but they may try to beat a train if the correct safety measures are not in place.
More than 400 trespass fatalities occur each year, as well. Railroad property is private property, and accessing it without permission can lead to injury or death. If a pedestrian does not use a designated highway-rail grade crossing, he or she is at risk of personal injury.
Who Is at Fault?
Train accidents are often much more complicated than normal car accident cases, as it can be difficult to determine who is at fault. It may seem that the driver or pedestrian is at fault, but unmarked or poorly marked crossings may have caused the accident. In this case, it would be necessary to discover the owner of the track and if he or she was negligent in putting up safety materials. If a local governmental entity is responsible for safety along the tracks, it would be a defendant in the case.
A train operator may also be at fault if he or she was negligent in his or her position. Each train collision case is unique and may present many different circumstances and different defendants apart from those listed here.
Serving Costa Mesa | Irvine | Mission Viejo
A competent lawyer well-versed in train collision cases can help you decipher who may be at fault. These specialists can help guide you through the claim, launching an investigation and seeking out expert witnesses. At the Law Offices of Mann & Elias, we encourage victims of train-related accidents to seek competent council to help them through the process. If you or a loved one has been injured in a train-related accident, we can help ease your physical and financial burdens. Contact our offices today for more information.