There were over 2,200 railroad crossing accidents in 2024. These incidents resulted in 266 fatalities and 744 injuries – both railroad workers and the general public.
There are many potential causes of accidents at railroad crossings:
- Poor visibility for drivers created by overgrown bushes, weeds or vegetation;
- Lack of lighting;
- Unpredictability of train traffic;
- Inadequate warnings for drivers (no lights/gate arms);
- Improperly maintained roads and crossings, causing cars and trucks to get stuck on the tracks;
- Broken or malfunctioning signals; and
- Human error.
The FRA’s official position is that “the safest grade crossing is one that doesn’t exist.” Not only is a person struck by a train every three hours in America, a motorist is 20 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than another vehicle.
Doran & Murphy has represented many railroad workers who have been injured while in a locomotive involved in crossing accidents. These workers can be injured from being thrown around in the cab after a collision, and even more so if the train derails from the impact.
A seemingly straightforward collision can involve many different parties including municipalities and landowners, along with motorists and the railroads. A competent railroad attorney can assist in identifying every person or entity who may have been at fault in a railroad crossing collision. Time deadlines can be very short for some of these entities, so you should not delay in contacting the experienced railroad attorneys at Doran & Murphy.
