South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog

Many area residents rely on the Tri-Rail to get to where they need to be quickly, efficiently and safely. While this is usually what happens, tragedy recently struck. According to The Miami Herald, riders were brought to a screeching halt after the train slammed into a man who was crossing the tracks between NW 6th Street and Sunrise Boulevard around 7 a.m.

The pedestrian was killed in the Fort Lauderdale train accident. According to Deanna Garcia, a spokeswoman with the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department, the accident happened only because the man didn't get across the tracks in time. Officials report the train attempted to make a safe stop well before the scene of the collision, but was unable to do so avoid the man.

Our Fort Lauderdale commuter rail accident lawyers understand that railroad crossings are a dangerous place for everyone, including passengers, pedestrians and motorists. The Tri-Rail system is a 72-mile track that runs parallel to Interstate 95 between West Palm Beach and Miami. It serves three major airports - Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Along these routes, there are nearly 20 stations. The South Florida train system not only serves as a convenient mode of transportation, but is also serves as a dangerous obstacle for drivers and pedestrians if you're not careful. To help to keep travelers safe, our South Florida accident attorneys here to offer your some railroad crossing tips to help you to avoid a serious and potentially fatal railroad crossing accident.

Nationwide, a person or a vehicle is hit by a train about every three hours. The state of Florida ranks in as the 7th most dangerous place for fatal traffic accidents involving cars and trains. According to Federal Railroad Association (FRA) statistics, "highway-rail grade crossing collisions and pedestrian trespass on tracks together account for over 95% of all railroad fatalities."

Railroad Crossing Safety Tips:

-Approach a railroad crossing with care, even when you don't see an any signs of a train coming.

-Always be ready to stop for a train. When approaching train tracks, you should shut off your radio, take off your head phones, hang up the phone, roll down you windows, look and listen for a train coming.

-Always check right, left and right again for an oncoming train before crossing the tracks.

-If you see a train that is approaching, stay a minimum of 15 feet away from the tracks.

-Once you start to cross the tracks, keep going. Even if the warning lights start flashing and the warning gates start to go down.

-Remember that the cars of a train extend at least 3 feet beyond the rails. Keep yourself and your vehicle out of this area.

-Remember that trains appear to be approaching slower than they actually are.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Tri-Rail Accident Kills Pedestrian" »

Just weeks after the Federal Railroad Administration ranked Florida among the ten worst states for train accidents at railroad crossings, a 34-year-old Edgewater man was struck and killed by a Florida East Coast Railroad freight train, according to a New Smyrna Beach media report.

In 2009 alone, Florida railways accidents included 48 crossing collisions that left 10 dead and 19 injured. Another 19 were killed and 8 injured in trespass incidents, according to the non-profit railway safety organization Operation Lifesaver.

According to the National Safety Commission, there are a handful of causes that frequently contribute to railroad crossing accidents.

First, trains look like they are moving slower than they really are which can lead a driver or pedestrian into making a judgment error when approaching a railroad crossing.

Second, trains are big and heavy. So even if they are traveling at a relatively slow rate of speed – say about 35 mph – they still pack close to a million tons of force.

Third, it takes about 1.5 miles to bring a freight train to a complete stop, and with only about half of public rail crossings controlled by electronic signals, and many private crossing unmarked and without any signaling, a distracted driver may, quite literally, drive onto an active railway and never see the train coming.

The safest rule is the simplest: before crossing any railroad track, assume a train is coming, whether you see or hear one or not.

In cases where a crossing accident occurs, it is important to consult with an experienced Port St. Lucie accident lawyers, or a personal injury or wrongful death attorney in your town. Investigating the cause of the accident is a critical step to protecting the rights of you and your family.

Continue reading "South Florida train accident a reminder of Florida's deadly railroad crossings" »

Florida has been ordered to improve safety at railroad crossings as the number of Florida train accidents ranks the state among the 10 worst in the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration reports.

The states targeted are Florida, Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas. Nearly 4,200 crossing accidents occurred in those states from 2006-2008, or just over half of the railroad crossing accidents that occurred nationwide.

Florida railroad accidents killed 29 people in 2009. Nationwide, about 14,000 train accidents occur each year, claiming more than 875 lives and injuring about 10,000 motorists. Each year, Florida train accidents kill an average of 45 people and injure more than 200.

More than 100 accidents occur each year at Florida railroad crossings, according to federal statistics. And the Florida Highway Patrol reports those figures are much higher. The patrol reports almost 3,000 crossing accidents occurred in 2006, killing 362 people and seriously injuring 999.

Some states argued the mandate to target states with the most railroad crossing accidents did not take into account the number of crossings or the amount of traffic and that a better measure would have been to target state with the most accidents per-vehicle traveling through railroad crossing. The Railroad Administration rejected that approach.

The states must submit a plan by August 2011, detailing how problems will be identified and solved at crossings. Solutions could include adding lights to crossings with gates, closing crossings, or building bridges over tracks.

Continue reading "Florida railroad crossing accidents a frequent tragedy; state ordered to improve safety" »