Most of us think of trains as a fairly safe form of transportation. True, we occasionally hear about a huge train wreck, but not that often right? You might be surprised to hear how often a train wreck actually happens. According to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis (FRAOSA), in the State of California alone for the year 2009 there were 99 train accidents. The year before, there were 118 train accidents. Although 2009 did not see any fatalities from train accidents, in 2008 25 people died as a result of train accidents in the State of California alone.
The FRAOSA breaks down train accidents into three different categories of accident: collisions, derailments, and other accidents. By just looking at the statistics for the last two available years, it appears as though about 5% of all train accidents are collisions, 75% derailments and the remaining 20% are “other accidents”. Also by looking at the available data, it appears as though about 6% of all train accidents happen on passenger trains. Sadly, the data gets worse when we add in incidents that happen at railroad crossing. Thirty people were killed in 2009 at railroad crossings with another sixty killed by individuals trespassing on railroad tracks somewhere other than at a crossing. That’s almost 100 people that died as a result of crossing or attempting to cross railroad tracks.
These statistics are truly shocking to most people. For some reason, we rarely hear about train accidents or train track fatalities, yet they clearly happen with some regularity. The cause of the fatalities on the tracks themselves is evident, but what were the causes for the train accidents themselves? According to the research, human error accounted for almost half of all train accidents. You may remember the horrendous Metrolink train accident that happened in 2008. Attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates whose firm represents one of the victims of that accident says that the conductor of that Metrolink train was apparently sending and receiving text messages just seconds before the train collided with another train killing 25 people and injuring hundred of others. As with car accidents, human error ranks highest on the list of causes. Track and equipment defects combine to make the next biggest category of causes. Unfortunately, many of the trains and tracks that are being used today are outdated and are in separate need of repairs or replacement. When you combine all of these factors, train accidents become more likely – and more deadly – than most people think.
If you, or a loved one, have been involved in a California train accident and have suffered injuries as a result of the accident, please fell free to contact California train attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates for a free detailed evaluation of your train accident case. If someone else was responsible for the accident – whether it was the conductor or the train company –then you may be entitled to compensation for any injuries you or your loved one suffered. Attorney Ledger can be reached at 1-800-300-0001 or he can be visited online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
