Accidents Victims of Riverbank Train Accident File Lawsuits against Railroads
Over two years ago a woman driving an SUV, along with five of her passengers, was killed when her car was hit by an oncoming train on the railroad tracks at Claribel Road and Terminal Avenue. At this particular railroad crossing, there is a stop sign at which the woman stopped her car at the sight of an oncoming train. To her dismay, however, the front end of her SUV stuck out over the first rail of the tracks. She was unable to back up because of several cars parked directly behind her. In panic, she tried to speed over the tracks to avoid the train, but was unable to make it over the tracks in time. The train, which was traveling at nearly 80mph, hit her directly from the side, killing all six passengers in the SUV. Those passengers included the driver, her 3-year old son, her 5-year old son, another 5-year old boy, a 19-year old girl, and a 39-year old woman.
The husband of the woman driving the SUV has now filed a lawsuit against four of the railroad companies in the Stanislaus County for the California train accident, as well as the county itself. He claims that the railroads neglected to maintain the crossing at Claribel Road and Terminal Avenue, where the accident occurred, and failed to make it safe for vehicles and pedestrians. The man’s lawyers also point out that, although the California Public Utility Commission recommended that Stanislaus County remove the stop sign from this particular crossing in order to make it more safe, the county has failed to do so. In rebuttal, Amtrak has filed a lawsuit against this man, claiming that it was his wife who was entirely at fault in the accident.
For whatever reason, the number of deaths that are occurring in the East Bay area due to railroad crossing accidents in increasing all the time. These accidents involve vehicles much of the time, but pedestrians are becoming particularly prone to injuries and death in these circumstances. Although the accidents are typically the fault of the vehicles or pedestrians involved, there are a number of ways in which railroad companies can create safer crossing areas to avoid these types of accidents and the resultant injuries. One of the most significant ways in which railroad companies can accomplish this goal is by creating greater awareness of the potential danger at railroad crossings. They can also so more to teach residents, especially those in the East Bay area, how to conduct themselves safely while in an area with railroad crossings.
For those with loved ones that have been injured or killed at railroad crossings, it is important for you to seek a personal injury lawyer. It is often difficult and tedious to determine who is at fault when a person is injured or killed at a railroad crossing. The fault could lie with the railroad companies, the city or state governments, or the victim himself. Los Angeles Personal injury lawyers work on these types of cases regularly and are equipped with the experience necessary to determine who is at fault in an accident at a railroad crossing.
