Train Accident Lawyer San Antonio – Laredo and South Texas

There are over 600 railroads and 200,000 miles of track in the United States. From 2005 through 2010, approximately 30,400 train accidents happened, killing more than 4,800 people, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Train collisions or derailments happen every 90 minutes in the US.

Almost every 2 weeks a train loaded with hazardous materials jumps of the tracks in the United States. Railroad companies are not keeping up with the times, in reference to technology. They still rely on technology that was developed over 70 years ago. Updating safety measures is not done in a fast enough pace.

50% of all railroad accidents happen at unprotected crossings

A sad statistic shows that more than 50% of all railroad accidents happen at unprotected crossings and according to the Federal Railroad Administration, over 80% of railroad crossings don’t have adequate warning devices

Numbers may show that although vehicle collisions with trains have decreased in the last few years, pedestrian collisions have alarmingly increased. It is to contribute to the failure of the Railroad companies to educate the public, improve safety – warning systems, and enforce regulations. Many of these railroad accidents were due to the failure of the railroad company, but an accident can also be caused by distracted behavior of a car or truck driver, who fails to pay attention at a railroad crossing. As it is too many train accidents are caused by inspection and maintenance violations of the Rail Road Companies.

Railroad companies and commuter rail lines, are considered common carriers and as such they are held to heightened liability standard by Federal and state government. A common carrier is generally required to use the utmost care, diligence and attention when transporting passengers to and from.

Train accidents can involve all forms of rail transportation, commuter rail, subway, trolley, or local light rail systems. Railroad crossings are the major culprit when it comes to accidents involving cars or trucks. It is not uncommon that the safety equipment at the crossing fails or at unprotected crossings where there is no signage to indicate an coming train to the car driver.

Improper rail-track maintenance or mechanical failure of a locomotive or a railcar. Sleepiness or distraction are main contributors to train accidents from either side – the trains operators or the cars driver. High speed has been quite often a cause of train or trolley accidents in the past. when trains come to a curve that was not constructed high speeds they derail, plain and simple . Just to mention the Train Accident that happened in Spain, where the operator was speeding through a curve and derailed the train. Costing many passengers lives.

Many Freight Train accidents that carry hazardous cargo, light toxic chemical of petroleum products can result in ground water contamination or can be very harmful to nearby residents of the accident area.

We handle many kinds of railroad accident cases and are aware that train accidents can have devastating consequences. With the number of trains that run through San Antonio and Laredo, we have had our share of train accidents and cargo spills. We want to help if you or someone you love has been involved in a train or railroad accident due to:

• Improperly marked railroad crossings
• Faulty, or lack of, safety gates
• Conductor negligence
• Operator fatigue
• Track defects

Your medical bills and lost wages from an injury caused by someone’s negligent actions on the road may be compensated after a lawsuit. Personal injury laws in Texas make some of these type lawsuits difficult to win. However, Sandra D. Laurel the Train Accident Lawyer at Ford & Laurel has proven experience and will give it her all to succeed.

Call us today for a Free confidential consultation about your case.

To find out how much you can expect to receive if you succeed in your claim, contact the personal injury attorney at Ford & Laurel. Arrange for a free case evaluation  today!
Train Accident Articles:
Rail Road Accident Reports by NTSB:
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