Amtrak Derailment Montana: A Tragedy That DLG For Me Could Have Helped the Victims
On Saturday, September 25, 2021, Amtrak’s Empire Builder Train #7 from Chicago to Seattle derailed just outside of the north-Central Montana town of Joplin — out of 141 travelers on board, over 50 people were left injured and another three people lost their lives. While it’s unclear what caused the derailment, the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) 18-member team began an investigation and volunteers helped passengers make it to safety.
Now, the DLG For Me train accident attorney team from its Chicago office will begin to evaluate cases and represent the eligible families of deceased passengers in court to recover the compensation they deserve.
Currently DiCello Levitt Gutzler as co-counsel with Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky, PC as lead counsel filed in Federal court in Mr. Schneider's home state. Press release pending soon.
Train accident statistics by the numbers
While seemingly on the decline from previous years, train accidents in the United States in 2020 are much more prevalent than most may realize — and the statistics may be alarming.
According to the National Safety Council Injury Facts website:
- There were 757 railroad deaths in 2020 alone — down 12% from the 2019 total of 862
- There were 5,479 non-fatal injuries in 2020 — down 33% from the 2019 total of 7,983
- The 2020 fatalities at highway-rail crossings included 529 (94%) attributed to trespassers, 10 on-duty employees, and 2 train passenger deaths
- The ratio of railroad-related deaths to non-fatal injuries/illnesses is approximately 1:7
Despite the Rail Safety Improvement Acts of 1988 and 2008 — the latter of which requires positive train control (PCI) technology nationwide across the rail network — there continue to be train accidents that result in fatalities every year.
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Causes of train accidents and who might be at fault
When it comes to train accidents, there are a couple of different questions that need to be answered — what could cause a train accident fatality and who might be at fault in such instances.
The U.S. Department of Transportation reveals the following 6 most common causes for train accident injuries and fatalities:
- Human error
- Equipment defect or failure
- Cargo loads that shift
- Signal crossing malfunction
- Track malfunction
- Track obstacles
With so many different potential causes of railroad accident fatalities, the list of persons or entities potentially at fault are similarly long.
The following are the most common individual or entities at fault:
Train operator (including the employing company or public agency). Not only is the individual operating the train responsible for its safety, but the organization that hires and trains that individual, as well.
Track owner (be it a private company or government organization). Whoever owns the section of the track that malfunctions would be responsible for any accident that occurs.
Automobile operator. If a car causes the train accident, liability could extend to the driver of that vehicle.
Equipment manufacturer. Faulty equipment — including train parts, signals, track portions, etc. — places the manufacturer in the compensation formula.
In summary, when a train accident attorney begins to establish a case for compensation, fault might lie with a single person or organization — or, there might be a complex combination of elements.
DLG For Me: The train accident attorney with experience
While any lawyer may be capable of taking a train accident fatality case to court, it’s often experience that determines the outcome — as well as the dollar figure of the compensation awarded to the family of the victim.
The DLG For Me team has a track record of success in defending the families of train accident victims in a court of law — from weighing a case to determine eligibility, to settling with at-fault parties out of court, to in-court representation.
If a train accident fatality has changed your life forever, you should partner with a team of train accident attorneys that will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
And that train accident attorney can be found at DLG For Me.
Contact DLG For Me’s experienced train accident attorneys today.
We offer a free, no-obligation review of the experience to determine eligibility — and, we’ll follow up by representing the family in court to get all of the compensation they deserve.
Source(s)
Federal Railroad Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
About DLG For Me
The team at DLG For Me is an accomplished group of litigators, paralegals, and administrators that fights tirelessly for our clients, protects their rights, and gets them compensation that they deserve. For more information, call (877) 659-1294, email info@dlgforme.com, or click here to send us a message.