Train accidents cause serious harm. Medical bills can be astronomical. Families may also face funeral expenses. Life often never goes back to how it was. For more than 30 years, people hurt in public transport have trusted Singleton Law Firm. Fighting for accident victims is the foundation of our practice. We take on insurance companies and government agencies to recover the compensation you deserve.

Schedule a free no-obligation consultation with Don Singleton. We will explain your options and help you decide what to do next. Don will guide you through each step and help you get things right from the start.

A passenger train accident may involve just one person, such as when someone is run over by a train or slips off a platform, or an entire community suffers due to the accident’s consequences, such as a toxic chemical spill.

The following are the likely victims of passenger train accidents:

• Train passengers
• Railroad workers
• Pedestrians and bystanders
• Drivers and passengers of other vehicles
• Causes of Passenger Train Accidents

Passenger train operators have a legal responsibility to ensure their passengers’ safety. They must take extra care and put measures in place to avoid accidents and subsequent injuries. Failure to do this would lead to accidents. Carelessness/negligence of other drivers and pedestrians can also cause train accidents.

Train accidents can happen for many reasons. Many of them could be prevented. Here are some of the most frequent causes:

• Signal defects
• Track defects
• Speeding
• Human error by the train operator or a vehicle driver
• Lack of proper warnings at crossings
• Defective train parts, crossing equipment, or signaling gear
• Crew or conductor fatigue leading to negligence

These causes align with data showing how critical human error, track issues, and equipment failures are in rail accidents. For example, human error accounts for about one-third of all train accidents, while track-related problems follow closely behind. 

Due to their large size and weight, passenger trains can cause more severe injuries than cars. A train weighing hundreds of tons and traveling at high speeds can take a mile to slow down. Therefore, train operators often become aware of a hazard when it is too late to stop and avoid an impending collision. When trains derail, they can tip over, throw passengers inside the train car, and catch on fire. Typical injuries in passenger train accidents include:

• Spinal cord injuries causing paralysis
• Neck injuries
• Fatalities
• Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries
• Slip and fall injuries, such as sprains, broken bones, and back injuries that occur inside a train car or on a platform
• Injuries caused by being crushed

It’s essential to seek immediate medical attention if you have been involved in a passenger train accident. Even if you do not think you have been seriously hurt. You are more likely to have a successful recovery if you get medical attention soonest. Remember, some injuries become worse if left untreated. You should also contact an Atlanta Train Accident Lawyer at Singleton Law Firm LLC. to help you file a claim or case.