Georgia Train Derailments
Many of us our scratching our heads after the deadly Amtrak accident in Philadelphia that killed eight people and injured well over 200 other individuals. Even though trains remain a rather safe method of transportation, any train accident has the potential to cause serious injuries and death, simply given the sheer size and power of a train. Because train accidents are likely to result in injuries, many people are wondering: where is the safest place to sit on a train?
Is Any Seat Really That Safe?
A variety of sources state that there are in fact certain parts of a train that may be safer than others, including, but not limited to, sitting in a rear-facing seat, sitting near the middle of the train as opposed to the front or rear, sitting in an aisle seat as opposed to a window seat, and avoiding the restaurant car. According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), between 2005 and 2014, there have been more than 16,000 railroad accidents caused by derailment, which is a substantially larger number than the slightly more than 1,700 accidents caused by collisions. This catches many people by surprise and poses the question as to whether or not where you sit really matters.
Unfortunately, derailments can occur at any part of the train. It is noteworthy that despite the fact that tragic accidents occur that involve derailments that may or may not be related human error, train accidents are much less common than automobile and trucking accidents that occur every day on our Georgia roadways.
The best you can do when riding on a train may be take those small steps that may help to prevent serious injury in the event of an accident, regardless of whether the accident is a derailment, collision, or otherwise. For example, some sources advocate that sitting in an aisle seat is typically safer than sitting in a window seat simply because glass windows can break and cause the nearest-sitting passenger the most harm.
Train accidents can often be more difficult to investigate than any ordinary automobile accident. Not only are there other injured passengers involved, but there are also other parties, including the train company, its employees, potentially the drivers of other vehicles, as well as third parties who may be responsible for maintaining the railroad tracks. In any type of injury case, it is always a good idea to speak to a knowledgeable accident attorney to learn about your legal rights, and that the actions that need to be taken to protect those rights. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the various legal time deadlines that may apply to your situation.
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Source: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/05/14/where-is-safest-place-to-sit-on-train/