Train Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

Hire a Metro Accident Lawyer Los Angeles

While trains are convenient for travel and transporting goods, they have become a greater danger over the years as their speed has increased. Sometimes railroad accidents are caused by human error, but other causes include derailment, explosions on board, and bridge collapses. When a passenger is hurt while using public transportation, the public transportation provider may be held legally responsible for the passenger’s injuries.

WHY HIRE GREY LAW FOR YOUR TRAIN ACCIDENT CLAIM?

At Grey Law, our utmost priority is to ease your stress and help you through the legalities of your injury claim. For over 35 years we’ve helped clients get through the most strenuous metro accident cases. When you retain our personal injury lawyer, you are hiring a legal expert with knowledge of California train accident laws. Why delay your chance at compensation? From the moment you schedule a consultation and we take on your case, our firm will investigate the facts of your accident and fight aggressively to regain what you’ve lost.

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION LAWS

Public transportation providers like city and state-operated trains, buses, and light rail systems, are referred to as “common carriers.” Under California law, common carriers are held to a higher standard of care than other transportation services or even other drivers. Civil Code §2100 states that common carriers “must use the utmost care and diligence for (passengers’) safe carriage, must provide everything necessary for that purpose, and must exercise to that end a reasonable degree of skill.”

If you’re an Angeleno, you might be familiar with Metrolink. Metrolink is a regional rail system that provides transportation to people in Los Angeles County traveling between Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Metrolink was designed as a public transit system to reduce congestion on highways and improve overall mobility throughout Southern California. Many Los Angeles County residents use the Metrolink and depend on it for their daily transportation needs.

While Metrolink’s ridership is the seventh-largest in the nation among commuter rail systems, it has the second-highest number of deaths, behind only New Jersey transit, whose trains travel six times as many miles as Metrolink trains on a yearly basis and carry five times as many passengers. The Federal Railroad Administration reports that in one six-year period, 39 out of 61 passenger fatalities across the nation involved Metrolink trains. Metrolink accidents in Glendale in 2005 and Chatsworth in 2008 accounted for nearly all of the 39 deaths. From 1998 to 2008, Metrolink has had 99 fatalities, more than other commuter rail systems with nearly eight times the ridership.

COMMON CAUSES OF TRAIN ACCIDENTS

There is still an alarming number of accidents involving common carriers, such as Metrolink. Metrolink accidents can be caused by a number of reasons, including:

• Collisions with other Metrolink commuter trains or with freight trains they share the track with.
• Inattentiveness of the engineer or conductor.
• Failure to see or inadequate or inoperative signals warning of another train on the tracks.
• Derailments due to poorly maintained tracks.
• Faulty maintenance of the train.
• Non-compliance with safety standards.
• Driver fatigue
• Excessive speed

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Metrolink accident, contact an experienced train accident attorney in Los Angeles at Grey Law to discuss your case. A Los Angeles personal injury lawyer at Grey Law can handle cases for railroad accidents, including:

• Derailment of cars
• Collisions of freight trains and passenger trains
• Runaway freight cars
• Improperly parked train cars
• Negligent railway maintenance
• Negligent security at trains or railroad stations
• Commuter rail and light rail accidents
• Sudden train movements
• Wrongful death
• Inadequate maintenance of rail terminals
• Failure to warn safety hazards
• On the job accidents
• Negligence in railroad crossing design and maintenance
• Negligence of conductors or engineers
• Excessive speed

Many laws are in place to protect the safety of train passengers. After the Metrolink Chatsworth tragedy, the United States Congress approved the Rail Safety Improvement Act, which requires railway agencies to install, by the end of December 2015, a satellite-linked system that will automatically stop trains that run red lights. Metrolink is also looking at “automatic train stop” devices, a 1940s technology that would automatically stop a train that runs a signal. This is being considered as an interim step until positive train control can be installed.

RELATED ARTICLES ABOUT TRAIN ACCIDENTS

WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A TRAIN ACCIDENT LAWYER
Unfortunately, train accidents are a lot more common than most people may think. There are a number of scenarios in which a train accident can occur, such as when a vehicle stalls on railroad tracks, train operators become distracted, train malfunctions, or faulty railroad crossing signals. Whatever the case may be, train accidents can cause a serious impact in someone’s life, resulting in devastating results. These types of cases are very complex and require a trusted and experienced train accident lawyer who will be able to handle your case from start to finish. Our team will be able to determine liability to get you the compensation you deserve for your losses.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE INVOLVED IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT
If you’ve been injured in a train wreck, seek immediate medical attention. This will prove to be vital in detecting any latent injuries, as well as proving them when you file for compensation. Reporters may swarm following the accident, but you shouldn’t speak to anyone besides your attorney.

TRAIN ACCIDENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Train accident cases are undoubtedly very complex. Along with the injuries that victims can sustain, there are many legal issues that you will have to deal with as well. This is why it is important to seek legal guidance from a train accident lawyer. In addition, you can visit train accident FAQs for questions and answers that can help bring you some clarity.

Are Railroads Obligated to Protect Pedestrians?
Whether it is at a railroad crossing or at drop-off and pick up sites, railroad companies and light transit companies are legally required to offer as much protection as possible to the public. Along with flashing lights and barriers at railroad crossings, any pathways near tracks and drop-off and pickup sites must have notices posted warning the public of the potential danger. If these actions have not been taken by the railroad company, your Los Angeles train accident lawyer may be able to prove negligence and carelessness on the part of the railroad company.

Can Railroad Employees Sue Their Company If They Are Injured?
If you work for a railroad company and are injured in a train accident, you do have the right to sue your company. Thanks to the Federal Employers Liability Act, also known as FELA, workers can take advantage of a limited exception allowing them to bypass the general prohibition of suing an employer. If you need to pursue this legal path, work closely with a Personal Injury Lawyer Los Angeles railroad employees know understands FELA, such as Grey Law.

What Are the Duties and Responsibilities Of Train Crews?
When operating a train, its crew has a legal obligation to maintain reasonable control over the train and take the necessary precautions to ensure its passengers and nearby pedestrians and motorists are kept as safe as possible. For example, if there are weather hazards such as fog, rain, or blowing snow that may limit visibility, the train crew is expected to slow down and use reasonable means to ensure safety. If you have been involved in a train accident where the train crew’s judgment and actions are called into question, consult with Grey Law immediately. As a train accident lawyer Los Angeles victims trust, they will closely examine the evidence to determine if the train crew was negligent in its operation of the train.

What If My Car Was Hit by A Train at A Railroad Crossing?
When these accidents take place, your attorney at Grey Law will focus on whether or not the railroad was negligent not only in how the train’s crew operated the train, but also look closely at the railroad crossing itself. As a train accident attorney Los Angeles victims know has experience in these cases, your attorney will look to see if the railroad crossing was not properly maintained by the railroad company. In addition, your attorney will also examine evidence such as the train’s speed at the time of the crash, whether or not brakes were applied, and other evidence that may point to negligence and carelessness.

SPEAK TO A LOS ANGELES METRO-LINK ACCIDENT LAWYER

Contact an experienced and qualified Los Angeles train accident attorney at Grey Law today. The lawyers at Grey Law are experienced in getting compensation for victims injured in railway and railroad company accidents. Call us today at (323) 857-9500 for a free case evaluation.