Preventing Vehicle Train Accidents Starts With Safety
A woman and her two children died when their SUV was struck by an Amtrak train at the entrance of the Corbett Wildlife Management Area in suburban Jupiter Florida.
This accident happened on Saturday November 23, 2019. Sadly, it could have been prevented. You see the railroad crossing had no gate, and the tracks were about 75 feet from the highway turn off. Although there was a yield sign and two posted railroad markers they were obstructed from driver view by vegetation and brush.
The impact turned the SUV into a twisted wreckage strewn across almost a half mile from the crash site.
According to incident reports there have been previous crashes at this crossing which have prompted calls for improved safety measures.
Unfortunately friends, neighbors and relatives of the victims involved in the wreck would most likely be looking for answers. Why did it happen? What could have stopped the accident from happening?
Many questions would be raised as to why there was still no signals or gates. And they will want to know what could have been done differently to prevent such a tragedy and will be done in the future to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.
So why do I share this with you? And, why do I bring up a devastating accident that happened in Florida when this is Indiana?
Hi, I’m Indiana personal injury attorney David Holub and my firm concentrates in personal injury, vehicular accidents, and wrongful death litigation.
The reason I share this accident is that, as I stated before, the accident could have been prevented. We are living in an era that safety should be paramount with ample warnings and protocols to protect drivers on the road. And yet, those warnings, signs and gates were missing or blocked from view.
The reason I bring up the Florida accident here in Indiana … is that Indiana has trains too. And this could have happened here in our beautiful state.
A sound argument could be made that every intersection that encounters a railroad should for the safety of others have gates, flashing lights and warnings of some kind.
Railroad collisions between trains and cars at a crossing often involve complex investigation of technical and engineering issues such as speed, crossing protection, and sight distance. Railroad accidents often involve serious injuries including paralysis, amputation, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and death. Victims of train collisions may recover for pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity.
Many fact situations are covered by the law applicable to railroad related collisions, including:
- Train/car collisions
- People and bikes hit by trains
- Safety gate failures
- Warning light failures
- Errors caused by fatigue, alcohol or drugs
- Failure to utilize whistle/horn
- Poor training and maintenance
Victims of train collisions endure suffering, they have medical expenses, they’ve incurred property damage, lost wages, and the possibility of loss of earning capacity.
When you need a law firm experienced in handling such cases call the Law Offices of David W Holub today at +1 (219) 736-9700. This is what we do!
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