Our Attorneys Fight Hard for Maximum Compensation for Train Crash Victims Nationwide

We Know What It Takes to Win^™Train Accident Cases

For over 39 years, Montlick & Associates has fought for justice on behalf of accident victims and those who tragically lost loved ones due to others’ negligence. With billions of dollars recovered for our clients, Our Experience Pays!^™*

If you or a loved one have been injured or harmed in any type of accident caused by negligence, contact Montlick & Associates, Injury Attorneys, today for your free consultation. Contact us Nationwide, 24/7 at1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or by simply dialing #WIN (#946) from your cellphone. You may also visit us at Montlick.com and contact us through our Free Case Evaluation Form or Free 24-hour live chat.^**

Train accident cases can be some of the most difficult we see. Victims are often left with extensive medical bills, lost income, disability, pain and suffering, and other damages. In the tragic cases where the victims die from their train accident injuries, family members are left behind to try to pick up the pieces.

When horrific train accidents are caused by the negligent actions of others, Montlick & Associates fights for accountability from the wrongdoers and for the compensation our clients deserve.

National Train Accident Statistics

People tend to view train accidents as rare, isolated incidents, but they are actually more common than you might think. According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), there were 10,495 accidents or incidents involving trains in the United States in 2019. From these, 881 people were killed. The FRA indicates that derailments led to 1,185 train accidents in 2019, human factors led to 679 accidents, track causes led to 448 accidents, equipment causes led to 236 accidents, and collisions led to 101 accidents.

In 2018, a total of 2,217 accidents occurred in the U.S. involving vehicles and trains, and these accidents resulted in 840 injuries and 262 fatalities. The fatalities usually involve people who are not railroad employees, meaning passengers, motorists, or pedestrians. Crashes between trains and motor vehicles are 20 times more likely to kill motorists than crashes between multiple motor vehicles.

Types of Train Accidents

Train accidents can involve numerous factors and range in severity. Sometimes, the accident involves only one train and injures passengers on board or people surrounding the train. In other accidents, multiple vehicles are involved in addition to the train, rail cars tumble onto roadways, or cars spill hazardous materials near neighborhoods.

The most common types of train accidents include:

Collisions between trains
Collisions between trains and other vehicles at crossings
Trains striking pedestrians at crossings or along rail tracks
Derailments, which can also involve accidents with other vehicles and/or spills.

Causes of Train Accidents

Train accidents, whether they involve passenger trains or freight trains, can occur for a variety of reasons. Trains are not able to quickly come to a stop the way that cars can. They need a considerably greater distance and more notice in order to come to a stop. They also cannot make evasive maneuvers in the way cars can. Any issues that arise during a train’s route, therefore, can result major accidents.

As mentioned above, many train accidents are caused by human error. Some common causes of train accidents around the country that involve preventable human error, as identified by the FRA, include:

Failure to latch/lock a track switch
Failure to have point protection (someone monitoring conditions ahead while moving rail cars)
Failure to remove a derail
Improperly controlled rail car movement
Improperly lined track switches
Leaving rail cars in areas where they can obstruct other trains
Running a train on a broken or damaged switch

Train accidents can also be caused by some of the following circumstances:

Broken/improperly maintained gates and signals at rail crossings
Lack of gates or signals at rail crossings
Obstructed visibility around railroad tracks
Trains traveling too fast for conditions

The cause or causes of a train accident can dictate the people or entities to be named in a potential lawsuit. This might include the rail company, drivers of any other vehicles involved, and anyone else who contributed to the victim’s injuries.

Train Accident Injuries

Because of the scale of train accidents, they can easily lead to extremely serious injuries, or death. These injuries can include:

Broken bones
Dislocated joints
Internal injuries
Burn injuries
Head injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Spinal injuries
Paralysis
Amputations

Legal Time Deadlines: Act Now to Preserve Your Right to Recover Maximum Compensation

All types of legal claims are subject to “statutes of limitations” or legal time deadlines.

WARNING: Failing to comply with a statute of limitations will permanently bar your right to a recovery, an there are also exceptions that can shorten or even lengthen the deadline!

By way of example only, certain types of claims, such as claims against governmental entities, can have much shorter deadlines. In some cases, a combination of different types of legal claims may exist that involve different time frames, which may be due to multiple defendants and/or even the laws of more than one jurisdiction.

Moreover, in auto accident cases, many insurance policies owned by the victim or the victim’s family, also have timely notification requirements, where if a claim is not filed in time or appropriate notice is not given, the family of the decedent can lose valuable insurance, such as Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage.

In addition to the above legal and contractual deadlines, there are other reasons to act without delay: important evidence necessary for a case can disappear or become destroyed, and witnesses can go missing or forget what happened. Our attorneys act appropriately to preserve important evidence.

Our train accident attorneys can examine the facts and circumstances relevant to your case to determine which statutes of limitations (deadlines) apply. We take the required actions to preserve all-important legal deadlines on behalf of our clients, and when appropriate, make sure important evidence is preserved.

Montlick & Associates - Fighting Hard & Winning Cases^™ since 1984 - Our Promise to You

Treat your case as if it were our own. We'll treat you the same way we would want to be treated – as if it were our own case, or the case of a close friend or family member.
Protect you from powerful insurance companies. One of the first things the insurance adjuster will typically say is that you do not need an attorney. That's because the insurance company's goal is to pay you as little money as possible. And they know that injured people get substantially more money with an attorney representing them. With over 39 years of experience dealing with insurance companies, we can help you navigate through the insurance company minefields and avoid any traps.
Analyze your case at no charge to you. We'll evaluate your situation and advise you how to best protect your rights, at no charge to you. We invite you to call us 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays to request a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. Or use our 24/7 online chat right here on our website.
Vigorously fight on your behalf in order to obtain all the compensation and benefits you deserve. There's always a lot at stake after a serious injury, and when our clients rely on us for help, we never take that situation lightly. We work extremely hard, and we will always do the right thing when it comes to our clients.
Give your case our personal attention. We tell our clients: "We want you to concentrate on getting well. We want to hear from you if you have any questions or concerns. We work for you, not the other way around."
Promptly return phone calls and keep you informed. We are sure you've heard about professionals who do not return phone calls. Or, perhaps you have spoken to people using other law firms who never knew what was going on with their case. That won't happen with us. We keep our clients well informed of important developments and routinely send copies of correspondence regarding their case.
Be there for you when you need us most. When our clients first call us after a serious injury, they're understandably really worried. And we say to them, "You don't have to do this alone." We'll take on the insurance company for you and help you get the money you deserve for your medical treatments, lost wages, car repairs and pain and suffering. That's the kind of help we've been giving for over 39 years.
Always treat you with dignity and respect. Our promise is to operate at all times with honesty, integrity, high moral character and unquestionable ethics. And we'll treat you with kindness and give you and your family the dignity and respect that you deserve.

Free Case Review and Consultation to Protect Your Legal Rights

Our attorneys fight hard to get our clients the compensation they deserve. No matter where you are located, we are just a phone call away. For your Free Consultation contact Montlick & Associates, Nationwide 24/7 at1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or by simply dialing #WIN (#946) from your mobile phone. We also can be contacted at Montlick.com where you can submit a Free Case Evaluation Form 24/7 or utilize our 24-Hour Live Chat.

*Dollars recovered are cumulative and not indicative of individual case results. Each case is unique. Results depend on the facts and applicable law.

**Legal Services are provided by Montlick & Associates, P.C. and local associated law firms at no additional cost to you depending on the jurisdiction, and any specialized expertise required. For more information, click here.

Sources:

https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx

https://oli.org/track-statistics/collisions-casualties-year