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Is the Amtrak Surfliner a Danger to Santa Barbara Residents?
Though the Amtrak Surfliner does not pose an immediate threat to people in Santa Barbara, the high number of train derailments across the United States in recent years is cause for concern. Some of these crashes occurred through no distinguishable fault of anyone involved and were simply tragic accidents. Others seem to have been due to negligence: inattentive engineers and conductors letting their trains run far too fast in certain areas.
13 Injured after Metrolink Train Collides with Dump Truck
Authorities are still investigating why a Metrolink commuter train collided into a dump truck in the San Fernando Valley — an accident that sent nine out of 109 passengers aboard the train to local hospitals. According to a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), there were a total of 13 people who sustained injuries as a result of the crash.
The accident occurred in Pacoima when a dump truck, for unknown reasons, was on the tracks and failed to move out of the way of an oncoming Metrolink commuter train. The impact of the crash caused the dump truck to overturn. The driver of the truck was treated for minor injuries on the scene and was released.
The passengers who were not taken to the hospital were dropped off at the Sylmar Station. According to the LAFD, the accident is currently under investigation.
The Encino train accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Reneé J. Nordstrand are aware that the injuries suffered by the passengers on the Metrolink might be relatively minor. However, due to the sheer size and weight of a train, victims of train-related accidents can suffer broken bones, brain injury, and even fatality.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a commuter, passenger, or commercial train, our personal injury law firm is standing by to help you get the financial compensation you deserve. This includes payment for medical bills, offset lost wages, permanent lost income, rehabilitation costs, and any other damages. All of our train accident cases are handled on a contingency basis, so you don’t pay for our services unless you receive compensation.
If you have questions about your legal options and rights following a train accident, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022 or our Encino office at (818) 981-3530.
Man Struck and Killed by Train in San Diego
http://www.latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/a-coaster-commuter-train-struck
The Los Angeles Times reports today that a man died Tuesday night after being struck by a train in the 1600 block of Coast Boulevard in Del Mar. The victim, whose name was not disclosed, was from the state of Washington and had been dog sitting in Del Mar.
According to the train’s engineer, the man continued to walk slowly across the train tracks even after he had sounded the horn. Although the engineer applied the brakes, the train, which extended four feet beyond the tracks on either side, clipped the man after he made it across the tracks.
At the Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand, we work aggressively to find answers and to recover maximum compensation for clients injured in train accidents. We understand that an accident can disrupt the lives of the injured and all those involved. Although we can’t undo the pain and suffering caused by an accident, we can work towards easing the financial burden associated with it.
Contact experienced train accident attorneys today for a free consultation.
Amtrak Train Collides with Pick Up Truck in Moorpark
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/01/train-hits-truck-near-moorpark/
36-year-old Joseph Tillery was killed Monday morning when the pick up truck he was driving collided with a westbound Amtrak train on Highway 118 near Hitch Boulevard at the Peach Hill Soils crossing, the Ventura County Star reports.
Tillery’s car was pushed a quarter mile down the tracks after being broadsided by the Amtrak surfliner train, which was carrying 125 passengers at the time of the crash. There were no injuries reported onboard the train.
The Peach Tree Soils crossing, which is a private railroad crossing with no signals or railroad gates, had already been scheduled to receive public funding to improve the crossing’s safety –including installing devices to warn drivers who cross the tracks of oncoming trains. According to the Ventura County Transportation Commission, two other private railroad crossings have already been improved thanks to public funding in the past five years.
This is a terrible tragedy and I offer my deepest sympathies to Mr. Tillery’s loved ones in this time of loss.
If you have lost a loved one in a train accident, I encourage you to contact compassionate, veteran personal injury and wrongful death attorneys to learn more about your legal options. Our experienced attorneys expertly determine whether another entity is responsible for your losses, and will fight to obtain compensation for funeral expenses as well as pain and suffering. Law Office of Renee J. Nordstrand offers confidential, free consultations.
Metrolink Officials Partner with Law Enforcement to Cut Down on Pedestrian and Motorist Traffic Violations on Train Tracks
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/smith-people-tracks-2636881-starr-stop
Metrolink teamed up with several Orange County Law Enforcement organizations this morning to conduct a widespread traffic citation sweep as part of the California Operation Lifesaver Program, the Orange County Register reports.
Operation Lifesaver is a national non-profit program with individual chapters in many states whose goals are education, enforcement and engineering of California’s rail-crossing stops, according to the California Operation Lifesaver website. The program often gives presentations to school groups and emergency responder organizations in addition to aiding law enforcement in conducting traffic sweeps. In this morning’s sweep, 233 citations were issued and six people were arrested for violating rail-crossing laws.
One of the most common ways that pedestrians break the law and put themselves at risk is by crossing train tracks as a short cut. This is especially dangerous because trains cannot stop quickly, and the noise emitted from a train is often heard to the side of the train tracks, not to the front. Motorists too are at risk, when they try to beat the flashing lights that signal an approaching train.
The problem of pedestrian-train and motorist-train collisions can be reduced by taking the safety precautions (and following the law) that Operation Lifesaver and Orange County law enforcement promoted today by their sweep. Please protect yourself and your loved ones by avoiding the use of train tracks as a short cut on foot and by stopping behind the flashing rail crossing lights as soon as they start to flash when driving.
Sometimes safe, law-abiding pedestrians and motorists still find themselves the victims of serious train accidents. Train accidents have a higher likelihood of resulting in serious injuries than car accidents due to their sheer size and weight. If you or someone you know has been injured in a train accident and believe that another party is responsible, please contact experienced personal injury attorneys who understand how train accidents can disrupt and damage your life and fight aggressively to recover the maximum compensation that you need to move on.
Do Unsafe Intersections Cause Metrolink Trains to Hit High Numbers of Pedestrians and Cars?
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/metrolink/la-me-buena-metrolink27-2009sep27,0,2843534.story?page=1
An article in the Los Angeles Times reports that, from its inception in 1993 up to September 2008, 244 people have been killed on Los Angeles’ Metrolink Commuter Rail System. The Times cites Buena Vista Street in Burbank and Sunland Boulevard in Sun Valley as two of the Metrolink’s most dangerous crossings, where multiple drivers have been struck and killed by trains in recent years.
Critics say Metrolink officials have not done enough to develop safety upgrades in the areas where streets cross the railroad tracks, even after major accidents resulting in pedestrian and train passenger deaths. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that poor intersection design and traffic lights contributed to the death of a 63-year-old driver at Buena Vista Street in 2003, even though Metrolink took no responsibility for the incident.
Family members of those killed by Metrolink trains advocate that Metrolink make numerous improvements, including warning systems, redesigned crossings, public safety campaigns, and photo enforcement cameras. To date, little to no upgrading has been done.
In cases where pedestrians or drivers are killed by trains, a personal injury attorney can help. At Law Office of Renee J. Nordstrand, we examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, and determine whether the intersection may have been poorly designed or maintained. If so, a city or maintenance agency may be held responsible.