Train Accident Statistics

About every 115 minutes, a person or vehicle is hit by a train and almost half of all collisions at railroad crossings occur when automatic warning devices like flashing lights or flashing lights with gates are present and are functioning properly. Many people make the mistake of believing that if they hear an oncoming train that the train will be able to stop in time if in the worse case their car were to stall on the tracks. However, a 150-car freight train traveling 50 miles per hour will take over a mile to stop!

Obviously, a 3000 pound car being hit by a train weighing several hundred tons meet usually end in tragedy. According to the US DOT there are about 5,800 vehicle train crashes each year in the United States, most of which occur at Railroad crossings. These accidents cause 600 deaths and injure about 2,300. More than 50% of all deadly accidents happen at crossings with passive or inadequate safety devices (often none at all!). In the day time, about 75% of car - train collisions involve the train hitting the car, and at night about 50% of the time the car runs into the train at an inadequately marked crossing. The lesson here is to drive safe and expect the unexpected at train crossings!

Have you or a loved one been involved in a train wreck or railroad accident? Contact our Train Wreck Lawyers to get help with your railroad accident case today!

Rail accidents and/or incidents include the following scenarios:

• Derailment
• Train-train collisions
• Train-car collisions
• Train-person collisions
• Damage to property

Approximately 1,000 people die in train accidents every year. Further, United States train and railroad accident statistics estimate that almost every 2 weeks a train derailment leads to a chemical spill. Some of these spills are so serious that require the evacuation of local residents. The occurrence and frequency of train accidents has been escalating since 1997.

Aside from being extremely tragic and devastating, train and railroad accidents can be very complex and difficult for the victims. That is why your best option following a train wreck or railroad accident is to seek legal counsel from an experienced attorney. This can help you recover well-deserved damages in the midst of all the pain and suffering endured.

Here are some other train accident statistics:

• Every 90 minutes there is a train collision or derailment.
• A train carrying hazardous cargo derails approximately every 2 weeks in the United States.
• Railroads are for the most part self-regulated and do come under the close watch of the federal government.
• Today rail companies rely on technology that was developed over 70 years ago and very little research and improvement has been made to update these dated safety measures.
• Local governments often have no voice over the train traffic in their area which can result in delays for local emergency responders.
• According to the DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration, about 80% of railroad crossings do not have adequate warning devices.
• While vehicle on train collisions have decreased in the past few years, pedestrian involved in train collisions have increased.

MARTA has had two fatal accidents which resulted in a formal investigation by the NTSB. On February 25, 2000 a train near Avondale station struck two automatic train control technicians who were inspecting a relay box; one was fatally injured and the other technician suffered serious injuries. The workers had failed to apply for a safe clearance restriction for the track work. In addition, the rail system center controller, who was aware of the workers, failed to notify train drivers of the technicians' presence. A second accident occurred in 2000 when a train struck a bucket lift containing two contract workers at Lenox station. Both workers were fatally injured. Although the MARTA employee who was accompanying the workers notified the rail control center of the work over the track, the control center employee failed to block off the section of the track in the automated rail control system and also failed to notify the unscheduled southbound train of the workers' presence. In 2001 MARTA settled with the families of the two killed workers for US$10.5 million.

MARTA trains have derailed four times in recent years. Further, MARTA has had several escalator accidents that have injured several people. MARTA attempted to blame the incidents on patrons jumping on the escalator, however, a formal investigation showed that the braking systems and a weak motor were to blame for the incidents.

In September 2008, a Fulton County jury awarded a woman $525,000 for injuries received in an escalator accident at the Peachtree Center MARTA station. MARTA has been severely criticized for its escalator maintenance policies after recent injuries due to escalators overloading.

There is also recurrent criminal activity on MARTA trains and in and around MARTA train stations. For instance, aggravated and sexual assaults against patrons are frequently reported. From 2005 to 2009, two homicides and one rape were reported on MARTA property.

The McAleer Law Firm is constantly investigating train crash accidents in Georgia and throughout the United States. Georgia train crash victims should call or e-mail McAleer Law now. 404-816-7374.

McAleer Law takes on cases for the seriously injured. If you are a victim of train crash, or train accident, or train wreck anywhere in Georgia or the entire U.S. and have suffered serious personal injuries, IMMEDIATELY contact McAleer Law at 404-816-7374.

McAleer Law can assist you to recover monetary compensation which includes lost wages, past and future medical bills and pain and suffering. Sometimes even punitive damages can be recovered. McAleer Law can help you get the highest money award for your train crash injury in Georgia and Metro Atlanta.