North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog

At least 10 people were injured in a North Carolina train accident involving a tractor-trailer that got stuck on the train tracks at a Mebane crossing. The Amtrak train was headed for Charlotte this morning when it collided with the large truck between Raleigh and Greensboro and became derailed.

The train was carrying 1,900 gallons of fuel and hazardous materials. A team from Norfolk Southern had to come out to the train derailment sight to contain about 500 gallons diesel fuel that had leaked out of the locomotive, which, along with a train car, caught on fire. Meantime, the train accident victims were treated transported to local hospitals.

This is not the first train accident to occur at this particular crossing. Six previous North Carolina train accidents going back to 1978 have take place at site of today's crash.

Also, it was less than two months in that another Amtrak train was involved in a Charlotte, North Carolina train crash with a tractor-trailer that had gotten stuck on the tracks. 118 people were riding the train when it collided with the semi-truck, which was transporting luxury vehicles. No serious injuries were reported.

Some reasons why a vehicle might get stuck on a train track:

• Mechanical problems
• Panic on the driver's part
• Vehicle is physically stuck on the tracks
• Railroad crossing arm malfunction
• Vehicle is stopped on the tracks while caught in slowed or stopped traffic
• Train malfunction
• Human error

Just last month, a woman was killed in an Illinois train accident involving an Amtrak train because the warning system failed to let her know that the train was arriving.

Amtrak Train Crashes Into Truck, Derails in North Carolina, MyFox8, May 13, 2010

Charlotte-bound Amtrak train hits truck, Charlotte Observer, May 13, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Amtrak

Train Accidents, Justia

Continue reading "North Carolina Train Derailment Accident Injures at Least 10" »

A truck driver and a train worker sustained injuries last Friday morning when a 70-car freight train struck a tanker truck loaded with 6,100 gallons of oil near the Mecklenburg-Cabarrus county line in Charlotte. The North Carolina train-truck accident happened after the truck got stuck at a railroad crossing.

The train engineer sounded the horn and activated the emergency brakes but could not stop soon enough to prevent the accident. The collision caused a fire that affected one of the train’s cars.

Federal Railroad Administration records indicate that this is not the first time that a train-motor vehicle accident like this has happened at this particular crossing, located on Cabarrus Farm Road close to Universal City Boulevard. In 2004, real estate appraiser David Pearsall says that a freight train struck his pickup truck as he drove across the tracks. He says that he could not see the approaching train because tall weeds blocked his view of the track. Although there are several signs marking the tracks, there are no bells, lights, or automated crossing arms to indicate that a train is approaching. The crossing is on private property.

According to federal statistics, there were 68 train crashes at railroad crossings in North Carolina in 2007. 20 people were injured and five people died in these accidents.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a train accident, our North Carolina and South Carolina train collision attorneys can help you determine whether you have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit. Train accident cases can be challenging cases to prove, which is why you need to work with a personal injury law firm that has the experience to obtain your recovery for you.

Common Causes of Train Crashes at Railroad Crossings:

• Operator negligence
• Driver inattention
• Motor vehicle/train defects
• Poor warning or crossing signs

Hazmat Spill Follows Tanker-Train Crash, News14Carolina.com, July 12, 2008

Report: Tanker stuck on track as train approached, WCNC.com, July 15, 2008

Accidents At Rail-Highway Crossings, Visual Expert.com

Federal Railroad Administration

Continue reading "Two People Injured as Train Strikes Tanker Truck in Charlotte, North Carolina " »

Three years after the deadly train collision and toxic chlorine gas spill in Graniteville, South Carolina that killed nine people and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is saying that over 1300 people can be considered victims of the train crash that involved a Norfolk Southern freight train striking a parked train located close to an Avondale Mills plant. The freight train was carrying poisonous chlorine gas, which spilled into the area following the crash.

Yesterday, January 6, 2008, marked the 3rd anniversary of the deadly crash. The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit ends today at 5pm EST. Personal injury lawsuits must be filed at the Aiken County Clerk’s Office.

The Charlotte Observer says that the recent data released by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control last week included the following findings:

• More than half of the Graniteville residents screened in fall 2005 had decreased lung function, a general category for a range of breathing ailments.
• More than a quarter had some inflammation of their airways.
• Three people who didn't smoke showed signs of emphysema, a disease often associated with smoking.
• More than a quarter of those screened had lung disorders and did not realize it.
• Nearly a third of the residents screened showed signs of asthma-like disease.

Although 851 people sought medical attention soon after the accident, many others have experienced ongoing breathing problems, mental problems, emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, or lung disease (such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema). Many people continue to remain unemployed in the wake of the crash.

Norfolk Southern has settled the wrongful death cases filed by the family members of all nine victims and has reportedly paid millions related to the deadly crash. Personal injury claims and lawsuits have been filed by many of the victims.

If you have been injured or suffered damages in a train accident anywhere in North Carolina or South Carolina, you should contact an experienced train accident lawyer immediately.

You may be entitled to personal injury compensation for your injuries. A train collision attorney will know how to properly pursue your claim so that you can receive compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, any trauma, lost wages, and other related damages and losses.

2005 Graniteville train spill linked to breathing problems, Charlotte Observer, January 7, 2008

Graniteville: 3 Years Later, WRDW.com, January 4, 2008

SC study finds hundreds harmed after 2005 train wreck, spill, Telegram.com, January 3, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Graniteville Train Accident

Norfolk Southern

Continue reading "2005 Graniteville, South Carolina Train Accident and Chemical Spill Left Hundreds Injured, Says Latest Official Report" »