Trains can travel at speeds of roughly 80 mph, like a bullet chugging down the railroad tracks the weight of these huge passenger and freight trains make sudden stops near impossible in an emergency situation.  Indeed, a train crash can be caused by various factors including distracted driving, alcohol consumption, rear-end collisions with other trains, motor vehicles at railway crossings, pedestrians and even derailments.

While according to the Federal Railroad Administration the number of fatalities from train crashes nationwide is on the decline — down 27% to 415 people killed over the past 10 years — there are still far too many people injured or killed in train collisions.

We’ve all seen some of the worst collisions reported in the news such as the 2008 Metrolink disaster in Chatsworth that took 25 lives and injured 135 others due to a distracted train driver. This month a 33-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed in Riverside by a Metrolink train while crossing railroad tracks after the safety bars reportedly had gone down. Also, this month in North Hollywood, police suspect a pedestrian killed by an Amtrak train had been drinking.

Sometimes there are no injuries. In fact, there was a Union Pacific train derailment that took place today in Colton. The freight train derailment involved six cars and resulted in the shutdown of the Interstate 10 freeway in San Bernardino County. Several Metrolink trains servicing Orange County were canceled as a result of the incident.

“These types of accidents can be catastrophic for those involved,” said Emery Ledger, a train accident lawyer at Ledger & Associates, headquartered in Newport Beach. “It’s important to know what to do if you are in a train accident.”

So what do you do if you are involved in a train accident?

• Pay attention to any emergency procedures being announced on the intercom.
• If you are unable to exit using the main doors, locate and use emergency doors or windows to exit train safely.  If you are unable to open a window, find a sledge hammer or other blunt object to smash it open because train windows are fabricated with special glass that is resistant to breakage.
• Move away from any cars that could become engulfed in flames.

But what do you do if you are injured in a train accident? Who is at fault for your injuries? How can you get the compensation you need to get back on your feet again? Recover from your injuries and get back to work? What about pain and suffering? What if someone was killed? Can I file a wrongful death claim? Should I find a train accident lawyer?

Here are some guidelines to follow after a train accident:

• First call 911 and seek medical attention for any injuries you have.
• Next, document everything that happened in a journal because this information will be very important if there is a lawsuit filed on your behalf. Note weather conditions, any announcements made by train conductors, instructions you were given before or after the crash. Retain your receipts or ticket stubs that prove you were on the train.
• Take photographs with your camera or cell phone immediately after the accident if it is safe to do so. Take pictures of the scene of the accident, the vehicles involved including license plates and details of damages, photos of your injuries, street signs, debris from the accident and anything else that could be used as evidence.
• Obtain witness information such as names, telephone numbers, address, description of what they saw.
• Get a police report and if there is an officer at the scene write down his badge number and name.

Newport Beach-based Ledger & Associates hopes you or your family is never involved in any accident  whether it’s a train crash or it involves another type of vehicle. However, if you are involved in a train crash, choosing an attorney with train accident experience can make a huge difference in the success of your claim.  Ledger’s train accident lawyers have had clients who have included victims of Amtrak and Metrolink crashes among others.  Our legal team has extensive experience in the field and can help guide you to understand the legal system. If you are not at fault in a collision and you are injured you deserve to be compensated for your losses.

Call our train accident lawyers for a free consultation today at 1-800-300-0001.

In light of the devastating tragedy that struck in the Nevada desert in late June, Californians are hardly ready for another train incident possibly claiming the lives of more victims. In an incident with eerily similar facts, a man was pulled to safety before being struck by an Amtrak passenger training hauling nearly 200 passengers. Again, driver negligence is implicated in this incident as well as the tragic loss in Nevada last month.

It is never safe to ignore railroad crossing warnings or attempt to beat the train across the track. Many drivers are injured or killed after impatience gets the best of them and they try and cross the tracks before the train arrives. Not to mention the significant risk of injury or death posed as against the train conductor, his crew and the passengers and cargo aboard the train. Always practice prudent safety when approaching railroad across and obey all traffic signals- they are there for your safety!

On Tuesday afternoon, a driver in a Cadillac was pulled from his vehicle moments before an Amtrak train bore down on his vehicle, totally demolishing it beyond recognition. The driver of the Cadillac allegedly ran a red light in Fullerton and was subsequently struck by an SUV in an intersection. From there, the Cadillac was catapulted off the roadway, through two chain link fences, across a dirt parking lot and finally coming to a rest on a set of train tracks.

Fullerton police captain Alex Basteri questioned the driver’s inability to stop before coming upon the train tracks and stated he “[did] not know” why the driver did not attempt to stop his vehicle sooner.

As fate would have it, two Fullerton city workers happened to notice the Cadillac positioned broadside across the tracks. The workers joined forces with a number of other volunteers to help pull the driver from the vehicle before it collided with the approaching Amtrak train.

The workers didn’t think twice about racing to the driver’s aid. One worker commented that by they time they reached the Cadillac, the driver was conscious but severely injured in his legs.

Just over two minutes later, the car was completely demolished by an oncoming passenger train.

The driver, a man in his upper 70′s, was not seriously injured and the train tracks were closed for a brief amount of time. The Cadillac was completely destroyed.

Undoubtedly, railroad accidents are often very devastating leaving a large number of victims dead and even more people seriously injured and disabled. Trains travel at high speeds and when their sizes are factored in, the severity of accidents becomes understandable. Depending on the circumstances surrounding an accident, victims are usually entitled under the law to financial settlements. These usually cover the cost of medical care and if an accident resulted from a failure of the train company to adhere to certain FRA regulations, victims are also entitled to punitive damages. Getting settlements however is a different ball game entirely.

Hurdles to Settlement
The parties involved on the defendant side of settlement for train accidents include: the train company, its insurance providers and its attorneys. These entities often constitute a formidable obstacle and they strive to prevent victims from receiving compensation for personal injury. This is why victims of train accidents cannot afford not to hire a train accident attorney. Once a lawyer steps into the picture, a large number of defendants start to talk favorably about settling victims.

The Need for a Train Accident Lawyer
A lawyer ensures that your rights under the law are protected and in the case of train accidents, an attorney is responsible for getting you adequate compensation to cover bills incurred in addition to obtaining punitive damages if it can be proven in court that the company was negligent in the discharge of its duties. Thus, if you have been involved in a railroad accident or you know anyone that died from such, you need to get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible. This is because there is a time frame within which claims can be legally made (statute of limitations).

The Responsibilities of a Railroad Lawyer
A railroad lawyer is well versed in the different laws and regulations that govern railroad transportation and the operations of the railway system generally. As such, whenever a case is tendered before a train accident attorney, he or she will evaluate the case in order to determine the steps that should be taken to obtain settlement or compensation for the victims. If the attorney thinks the company was negligent in some areas of FRA regulations, he or she must also prove this beyond any doubt in court if the need arises. The best thing for victims of train accidents is to hire a skillful attorney.