Archive for the ‘ Train Accident’ Category

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300 Citations Issued in Blue Line Sting

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Police officers have written at least 300 citations along a two-mile section of the popular light rail Blue Line as part of a sting operation intended to reduce train accidents along this route. The sting took place along the Blue Line’s route in downtown Los Angeles and caught offenders jaywalking as well as drivers illegally talking on their cell phones and making illegal left turns. The Blue Line is Los Angeles’ oldest and most popular train line, but this route is also the most dangerous line for train accidents.

The Blue Line crosses more than 100 intersections in some of So Cal’s most densely populated communities. These are some of the safety measures installed to reduce train accidents:

  • The installation of LED signs to discourage drivers from making illegal turns in front of trains
  • Installing four-quadrant crossing gates and pedestrian gates at several especially high-traffic intersections
  • Lower fences along train tracks so operators have a wider field of view as they approach intersections

These changes have had a huge impact in lowering train accidents. In the first five years that trains operated on this line, there were 4.09 accidents per 100,000 train miles. In the last five years, that number has dropped to 1.09 per 100,000 train miles. Even though the numbers are encouraging, there have been 39 train accident fatalities in the last decade compared to 33 in the previous decade.

Long Beach train accident attorney Samer Habbas would like to remind his fellow Southern California residents that in most cases, they are the ones responsible for causing train accidents. Drivers and pedestrians who try to “beat” an oncoming train by moving around safety barriers are the most common causes of train accidents. However, if train operators do not follow safety protocols and people are injured or killed, accident victims and their families may wish to contact Southern California train accident attorneys such as Mr. Habbas. If you have questions about injuries you suffered in a train accident and want answers from an experienced California train accident lawyer, call 888.848.5084 today.

Resource link: 300 Citations Issued in Blue Line Sting

Visalia Man Killed in Los Angeles Train Accident

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

A Los Angeles train accident claimed the life of a 56-year-old Visalia man recently when a Metrolink commuter train struck his maintenance truck. Los Angeles County coroner’s investigator Brian identified the train accident victim and confirmed that he had lived in the Central California community of Visalia. The victim was an employee of Union Pacific for 30 years and was killed while working for the railroad company.

Accident investigators claim that on March 20, 2010, the victim was working in an area that both Metrolink and Union Pacific trains use. He was sitting in his truck on the railroad tracks in an unincorporated area east of El Monte. The train then struck the truck, and the impact pushed it over 300 yards. He died at the scene and three passengers on the Metrolink train received treatment for injuries.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has not yet released an official cause of the train accident, but accident investigators were quick to rule out suicide as a contributing factor in the accident.

Samer Habbas and other train accident lawyers in Los Angeles are alarmed that train accidents in and around the Los Angeles area continue to claim lives despite redundant safety features and well-publicized accidents in recent years. If you sustained injuries in a train accident or an immediate family died in a train accident, California train accident lawyer Samer Habbas may be able to help. He has many years of experience helping clients, and he has earned the reputation of a Southern California train accident lawyer who works hard to recover the compensation they are entitled to by law. Call 888.848.5084 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Resource Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14814992

Metrolink Pays $30 Million in Settlements for 2005 Train Crash

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Nearly five years after the Glendale train accident that killed 11 people and injured 180 more, Metrolink has paid out $30 million to settle the majority of the lawsuits in connection with the train accident. Two of these settlements stand out from the rest—one for $5 million and the other for $3.8 million—and two wrongful death cases in which the heirs will receive $3.5 million for each claim.

Metrolink released a statement recently saying Metrolink was “working diligently to reach a fair and reasonable resolution of each of the few remaining cases in the Glendale derailments.”

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Errors and Inconsistencies Found in Official Metrolink Records

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

A Los Angeles Times article published in late September reports that Metrolink’s official record of train accidents, injuries and deaths is incomplete and inaccurate due to inconsistencies mostly hidden from view. Their records make train operations in and around the Los Angeles area appear to be safer and less dangerous than they are. The records indicate that only four of every ten fatal train accidents were reported to the Federal Railroad Administration that posts the information on its website. A thorough examination of Metrolink’s records showed that at least 117 Metrolink pedestrian deaths and 6 vehicle deaths do not appear in the FRA’s records.

The FRA requires train operators to file reports for a wide range of events, such as accidents at grade crossings, accidents that result in damage to railroad equipment and train accidents that result in a loss of life with the notable exception of train accidents that are ruled as suicides. The Times also found that electronic files of Southern California’s rail system downloaded from the FRA’s Web site are riddled with errors—such as hundreds of rail crossings that are far from any railroad tracks. In more than 100 cases, Metrolink records had differing dates, times or victim names for what appeared to be the same train accident.

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Train Accidents on the Rise

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

On September 12, 2008, a Metrolink commuter train collided head-on with a Union Pacific freight locomotive in Chatsworth, CA, resulting in the deaths of 25 people and injuries to 135 more. This California train accident received significant national and international attention for the scope of the accident, the number of people whose lives were affected and what caused the accident to occur. After conducting an investigation, it was determined that the train’s driver was distracted from his responsibilities by sending and receiving text messages, which caused him to overlook a red light.

There have been other deadly train accidents since then that also claimed lives. The number of train accidents here in California and elsewhere around the world seems to be happening with increasing frequency due to a number of factors. For example, on April 28, 2008, a train accident in China resulted in the deaths of 70 people and 400 more severely injured. On June 22 of this year, a commuter train in Washington D.C. crashed during rush hour, killing nine people and injuring 70 more. On June 30, a freight train derailed in Italy and crashed into a small town killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 more.

If you have questions about injuries you or someone you care for received in a train accident, California train accident lawyer Samer Habbas may be able to assist you in recovering the financial compensation you deserve. Call today for a free consultation.

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