Philadelphia Train Accident Lawyers: Dangers on Tracks

A Georgia-bound train collided with a maintenance vehicle early last month in Southeast Pennsylvania on tracks that run along the Northeast corridor of the United States. The train company involved in the crash is one of the largest in the country and two of its workers were injured fatally in the train accident. About three dozen others were injured on the early morning crash which occurred minutes after the train departed the station. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the collision along with other governmental agencies and the company who owns the train and maintenance vehicle.

This train accident is not the first for the company in recent months and represents the dangers that are involved with riding trains in the region. Last year was the deadliest year since 2008 for those riding on trains and for employees of train companies. Other train companies have also had fatal accidents, including two that occurred last year in New York and Pennsylvania. Train derailments and accidents have been widely reported by the media and have occurred primarily on the East Coast. Injuries from train accidents can include burns from fire, lacerations from broken glass, broken bones, concussions, and even death.

Even more worrisome is the failure of the company’s newly installed positive train control (PTC) system to prevent these types of accidents from occurring. The United States railroad industry spent $14 billion on the technology, yet accidents continue to occur. It is still unclear whether the maintenance vehicle was registered on the PTC system and the technology failed or whether the accident was due to human error.

According to experts, the most effective way to lower the number of train accidents is to properly maintain and replace the Northeast corridor tracks. However, doing so would cost billions of dollars and take several years even if train companies and governments decided to spend the money on making the repairs. The money that would be spent on ensuring the quality of the tracks has already been exhausted on developing and implementing the PTC technology, which leaves governments and train companies in a financial bind.

Philadelphia Train Accident Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Represent Individuals Injured in Train Accidents

If you, a loved one or someone you know has been injured in a train accident, contact our team of seasoned Philadelphia train accident lawyers at DiTomaso Law now. Being involved in a train accident can cause an individual to be seriously injured, psychologically scarred, or killed. We help clients injured on trains seek compensation for their injuries and hold those responsible for their injuries liable. With offices in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Center City Philadelphia, we represent train accident victims and their families throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, including Cherry Hill, Mount Holly, and Camden County. Call us for a free consultation at 856-414-0010 or contact us online.