Railroad
Accident Lawyer Services
Rail service
in the United States has decreased over the last several
decades, due in large part to the popularity of air
travel. Other than regional commuter lines, today's
primary passenger rail carrier is the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation, more commonly known as Amtrak.
Amtrak began service in 1971 and currently carries over
60,000 passengers each day.
While generally safe, rail travel has seen its share
of accidents, including 2,768 train related mishaps
in 1999 alone. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
regulates passenger rail safety and requires that Amtrak
and other carriers report all accidents to the FRA.
The FRA defines a railroad accident as any "collision,
derailment, and other event involving the operation
of on-track equipment and causing reportable damage
above an established threshold; impacts between railroad
on-track equipment and highway users at crossings; and
all other incidents or exposures that cause a fatality
or injury to any person, or an occupational illness
to a railroad employee ." This definition includes
many admittedly minor incidents; nevertheless, 932 people
lost their lives in railroad related accidents during
1999 and many more were injured. For more statistical
information please contact the FRA.
Railroad workers injured on the job are protected by
the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). Enacted
in 1907, FELA provides certain benefits to injured railroad
employees. The law, however, differs from workers' compensation-to
recover damages, a worker must prove negligence on the
part of the railroad.
There are several requirements that an injured railroad
worker must establish to obtain benefits: the injury
must have occurred in the course of the worker's employment
with the railroad, the employer's negligence must have
contributed to the worker's injury and the injury must
have occurred while the worker and railroad were involved
in interstate commerce between two or more states.
Railroad
Accident Overview information provided by InjuryBoard.com
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