Amtrak Train Hits Two Cars in Two Separate Accidents on Same Day
Just an hour and a half after hitting a car in Mississippi and injuring the driver, an Amtrak train hit another car in Louisiana killing two people. None of the passengers or crew on the train was injured, which was traveling from Chicago to New Orleans.
After the accident in Mississippi, the train stopped for 37 minutes. It is unclear what caused this accident, but it happened on a side street in McComb where the crossing was marked with stop signs. The driver of the car was able to speak with emergency personnel after his car was clipped and spun into a Dumpster.
The railroad crossing in Independence, Louisiana where the second accident occurred does not have crossing bars that lower or lights, but there are signs posted showing that it is a crossing and that drivers should yield. Witnesses report being able to hear the train's whistle as it approached the crossing where the car was hit. The car apparently pulled out in front of the train, which was traveling almost 80 miles an hour. The car was split in half, and killed driver Beverly Barnett, 48, and passenger Draymond Vinning, 53.
Ronnie Hall, who was a passenger on the train, said that when the train hit the first car, she did not feel anything thing. When the train hit the second car, she felt the train jolt and saw pieces of the car scatter.
The train's engineer was relieved of duty after the second accident, and Amtrak is reviewing his performance, as well as interviewing the rest of the crew as part of the company's standard policy.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a train accident, please contact an experienced injury lawyer in your area. Labels: train accident
Man Sues Union Pacific for Injuries from 2004 Train Derailment
A man who was injured by chlorine gas released in one of seven derailments of Union Pacific trains in Bexar County, Texas, near San Antonio in 2004 is suing Union Pacific for as-yet-undisclosed damages. We can only hope that the damages will be sufficient to make Union Pacific sit up and take notice, hopefully even put its house in order in terms of the safety of the people who live near the rail lines on which it operates. Apparently, this is a case where no one seems to be willing or able to regulate the industry to improve safety. In 2005, federal regulators began an 18-month study of railroad traffic in the county, and the regulators have passed on more fines to Union Pacific than to any other railroad. However, the work by the Federal Railroad Administration, a branch of the National Transportation Safety Board, was unsuccessful, as evidenced by the 58 railroad accidents in Bexar County in 2006, including the derailment of 17 cars in a populous San Antonio neighborhood on October 17, 2006, which sparked a personal appeal from the city to their Senator. No one seems to be able to make Union Pacific do anything. The only way to make them change is to make them want to change, and the only way to do that is to make safety unprofitable. If you have suffered as a result of a train accident in Texas, contact Jim Adler & Associates for a free consultation. Labels: Texas, train accident
First Lawsuit Filed in Nov 30 Chicago Train Accident
It is common to hear about truck accidents and auto accidents, but far less common are train accidents. However, when they occur, they can be serious. On November 30, just such an accident occurred on Chicago's South Side, causing 60 people on an Amtrak train to suffer injuries when it struck a Norfolk Southern freight train. Although the speed limit on the track is normally 79 mph, a warning signal told the driver to slow down to 15 mph due to the presence of another train on the track. However, the driver slowed to only 40 mph, and even after applying the emergency brakes, the Amtrak train was still traveling 35 mph when it struck the freight train. Now the first lawsuit over this Chicago train accident has been filed. Six members of a Michigan family who were riding the train to come to Chicago for shopping and holiday sightseeing were all injured in the crash. The senior member of the family, suffered a minor brain injury and other severe injuries when the crash occurred. He had just risen from his seat, but the other five members of the family, who were seated, suffered far more minor injuries. The Michigan family hired a Chicago area personal injury lawyer to sue both Amtrak and Norfolk Southern for negligence leading to the crash, including poor communication, excessive speed, and other factors. If you or someone you love was injured in this needless accident, contact the Law Firm of Barry G. Doyle, P.C, where an experienced Chicago accident attorney will handle your claim and make sure you do not suffer more than you have already suffered. Labels: chicago, personal injury, train accident
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