Train derailments and railroad crossing accidents can be deadly. Considering the sheer size of a train, the people it is carrying and the speed at which it moves, a derailment can cause serious injuries to passengers, damage to property and in the worst cases, can be fatal.
Some train derailments can be traced to human fault. If you or a loved one has been injured or lost property as a result of the negligence of a train driver or train operator, consult a California train accident attorney as soon as possible.
Is there technology that rail systems can utilize that will prevent train accidents?
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently announced combined federal grants of $25 million to fund projects in a number of states, including California, to implement positive train control (PTC), a technology that is designed to automatically slow down trains that exceed the speed limit. PTC is slated to be mandatory for railroads and has the potential to prevent derailments, collisions, and improper track switching.
Train Accidents at a Glance
While trains are an efficient way to transport people and cargo and railways are safer than other means of travel,
It is never worth sidestepping a train in order to get to the other side of the tracks. One Friday afternoon, this set of circumstances occurred when a “driver tried to bypass a stalled train” in Madera County, California. Three male employees of a nearby farming business were involved. The young men were in a white pickup truck and in their twenties and thirties. Apparently, this accident occurred on their work premises between Road 33 and Avenue 9.
Since a train was stalled on the tracks,
Who is liable for damages when an act of God contributes to the cause of an accident? A San Franciso train called “The Altamont Corridor Express” (ACE) was impacted by intense flooding in the area. This train ran on the Union Pacific Railroad, a popular commuter line that transports approximately six thousand individuals daily. Prior to and at the time of the accident, there were downpours that lead to mudslides throughout this area. One report said that a tree was thrust onto the railway by the mudslide.
Just before the calamity,
