Blog

Can You Guess What the Most Common Train Accident Causes Are? You Might Be Surprised

Due to the safety of the rails and many railway safety precautions surrounding these tracks, it may appear that train accidents are uncommon. Sadly, there are railway accidents virtually every day. Discover six of the most typical reasons for these mishaps by reading on. Call the Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation to discuss your options if you were hurt in a train accident.

Conductor error

You would think that with the technological advancements that have affected train operation, they would be almost error-free. This is untrue for the straightforward reason that conductors are fallible people. People have a tendency to become sidetracked, they might not pay enough attention to speed, they might not complete thorough inspections when they should, or they might simply make a simple mistake in judgment. You can see how conductor mistake is all too typical when you combine these problems with the fact that conductors frequently work lengthy shifts without breaks.

Speeding

Similar to auto accidents, the conductor has less control over a train as it moves faster. Similar to this, if a train operator had been operating at a safe pace when an accident occurred, significant injuries and fatalities would have been considerably more likely.

Malfunction

Trains feature a lot of moving parts, and each one has to operate properly for the train to run safely. A fatal accident can happen if even one piece of equipment, such a rail switch, malfunctions.

Obstructions

A derailment may happen if foreign things are left on the rails. This may be something substantial, like a car, or it might be something minor, like a penny dropped in the wrong spot. While train drivers make every effort to keep an eye out for obstacles, they cannot always do so.

Reckless motorists

It happens much too frequently for drivers to believe they can outrun a train when they actually have little time to cross the tracks safely. Some train drivers intentionally try to outrun them while playing chicken with them, only to get hit and create a severe train accident. Other motorists just do not check for trains at all, which results in crashes.

Suicide

Sadly, some people use trains to end their lives. In fact, 266 people in 2017 alone done this. It is awful for everyone aboard the train as well as the family of the person who choose this approach.

Consult a personal injury lawyer for assistance

Call the Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation if you have been hurt in a train accident. We would be delighted to go over the particulars of your situation to decide the best course of action.