| Across
Pennsylvania, trains are used daily
for commerce, moving passengers or cargo. From
Pittsburg to
Philadelphia, trains are an important source of transportation.
However, when an accident occurs involving a train, the
consequences can be very serious. Passengers on a train may
suffer fractured bones and burns in any train accident, and
pedestrians can be killed when alarms fail to warn of an
incoming train. Other typical train accident scenarios
include:
- Train derailment
- Two trains collide
- Train collides with a car
- Train crossed into road
- Pedestrian on train track
- Train whistle does not blow
- Inadequate train inspection or maintenance
- Poorly maintained train tracks
- Inadequate security
- Conductor negligence
In
Pennsylvania, older train tracks, train or track
malfunctions, unprotected crossings, lack of safety lights and
gates, and driver inexperience are the leading contributors to
train accidents.
Victims of train accidents face unique legal challenges. If
the train isn't a public transit vehicle, federal law will often
apply. This creates a complex situation for any lawsuit, and can
affect the type and amount of damages an injury victim can
receive. Only a skilled lawyer with experience in federal train
cases can provide sufficient legal protection to victims
fighting for adequate compensation.
When an accident involves a subway train or other form of
public transportation, victims have a different set of
obstacles. Anyone injured in a subway or other public transit
rail accident can file a claim with the appropriate
transportation agency – such as SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania
Transportation Agency).
However, those agencies typically have very strict limits on
the amount of compensation they can offer victims – and those
limits may differ according to the agency involved. Depending
upon the route, a Pennsylvania train accident could involve
SEPTA, or the Port Authority Transit Corporation of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey (PATCO), or Amtrak. Each agency has designated
limits for damages that can be awarded for a single accident,
and often those amounts remain the same regardless of how many
people were hurt.
Once the damages limit has been paid out, victims who haven't
yet submitted a claim or had their case reviewed are simply out
of luck. In cases involving trains used for public
transportation, authorities may hand out claim cards at the
accident scene. If these are offered, you are wise to take one
right away. Securing and completing a claim card will help to
expedite your case.
Regardless of how quickly you act, you still may receive a
compensation amount that isn't enough to pay for the long-term
cost of severe injuries. A knowledgeable Pennsylvania
transportation accident lawyer can investigate other sources for
potential compensation, such as your own insurance company, with
whom you may be able to file a claim for additional damages. An
experienced attorney familiar with train accident claims can
make a crucial difference in your ability to receive quality
medical treatment and resume a normal life.
The Pennsylvania transportation injury lawyers at Munley,
Munley & Cartwright, P.C. have more than 40 years of experience
in handling accident cases. Our goal is to provide exceptional
legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest
standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights
through teamwork and the use of our considerable resources and
experience.
We have offices conveniently located in
Stroudsburg,
Carbondale,
Hamlin,
Hazleton,
Scranton, and
Wilkes-Barre,
PA. If
you have been injured as a result of a train accident, please
contact us by e-mail or telephone 1-800-318-LAW1. For more
information about our firm, please visit
www.munley.com |
