Railroad Crossing Injury Lawyers
FELA claims that are granted provide for compensation of railroad workers who are injured in their line of work. Members of the general public who are injured at railroad crossings may also have claims against the railroad. Typical scenarios leading to accidents are as follows:
- The railroad company has a duty to keep railroad crossings free of overgrown vegetation which might obscure motorists' ability to look both ways for oncoming trains when there is not automated crosswalk bar.
- The railroad engineer has a duty to sound a whistle or horn a particular distance from a crosswalk.
- If the railroad engineer himself did not sound the horn in time, it may well have been because the signs that were supposed to alert him were missing or obstructed by brush.
If you were injured or your family member was killed at a railroad crosswalk, you are strongly urged to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. It is very important to get accurate photographic evidence of any aberration such as missing signage or bushes and trees that obstructed signs, before changes are made to the crosswalk. It is also important to identify eyewitnesses and get their stories while memories are fresh.
Their testimony may provide critical pieces of evidence of negligence, such as the failure of the engineer to sound the horn. Eyewitness reports may help counteract any attempt on the part of the railroad to blame a motorist for "trying to beat the train," a common accusation.
Note: if in your railroad crossing accident case, the driver of the car did, in fact, drive around the crossing arms, this is not a case for Sales & Satterley. If there is uncertainty about the facts behind the accident, our lawyers are prepared to make a preliminary evaluation and recommendations.
Our law firm has represented many injured people, resulting in recovery of millions of dollars in compensation for victims of asbestos exposure, railroad crossing accidents, trucking accidents and other serious accidents. Call or e-mail the Louisville, Kentucky, law offices of Sales & Satterley, to schedule a consultation with an attorney.
