Some of the Worst Train Accidents in the Recent History of the U.S.

With airplanes and buses transporting people all over on vacations and to the workplace, there are many other ways that people decide to travel. However, with some people still deciding to use trains for transportation, it is no surprise that people will be injured in serious train accidents. There are many types of ways that train accidents occur and cause injuries, from derailments to crashes with other vehicles, and injuries caused to passengers. Some of the ways that these accidents occur are due to errors committed by conductors, railway negligence, and mechanical failures.

Worst Train Accidents

There have been many horrific train accidents in the U.S. in recent times. Today we will look at a few that caused extremely severe injuries and ended in madness.

Amtrak Accident Close to Philly: In 2015, an Amtrak passenger train carrying over 200 passengers to New York derailed close to Philadelphia. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang before the train flipped on its side after making what felt like a wide turn. It skidded off the tracks. The train was reported as traveling at 55 mph, but evidence recorded showed that the train was actually going over 100 mph before it crashed.

SUV Accident: Again in 2015, a Metro-North train slammed into an SUV on the tracks close to NYC, starting a fire inside the train cars that killed six people. One of these six people was the driver of the train.

Glendale, California: In Glendale, California, in 2005, two commuter trains crashed into one another when a suicidal man drove out in front of them on the tracks in his SUV. The accident resulted in 11 people being killed, and nearly 200 suffering from injuries.

Silver Meteor: In 1993, 103 passengers were on the Amtrak “Silver Meteor” train when it derailed in Florida. The train then collided with a tractor-trailer that was carrying a 150-ton generator. 80 out of the 103 passengers were injured in the wreck.

Common Carrier Accidents

Trains are seen as ‘common carriers,’ which means that they are entities that are in charge of transporting members of the public for a certain fee. This means that they cannot completely guarantee the safety of their passengers, but they are expected to use a high degree of care, even more than the standard put in place for others on the roads or tracks. Railroads are supposed to use black boxes in their trains in our modern times, which are electronic recording devices that record information that can be used after an accident, from the train’s speed to the brake usage and more.

These boxes show so much more information. They also show aspects like the throttle position, which can give a better idea of what the operator was doing at the time of the incident, such as driving distracted. In many cases, this becomes forensic evidence, especially when many people have been injured or killed and investigators are left to piece together how the accident occurred.

As you can see, train accidents are more common than you may have expected. If you have somebody who has been involved in a train accident and suffered injuries, you may have questions that only an experienced attorney can answer. At the Los Angeles Injury Group, we want to help in your time of need. Call us today at 310-954-7248 for more information.

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/deadliest-train-crashes-in-recent-history/10/

https://www.justia.com/injury/motor-vehicle-accidents/train-accidents/

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/30/496060407/federal-investigators-recover-black-box-from-hoboken-train-crash

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