Injuries Caused by Derailments

Train derailments cause significant damage to the environment, property, and people. Because trains in Texas often operate in thinly populated areas, derailments often affect train workers more than local residents. The engineer and the conductor are usually the only workers on today’s freight trains. However, a serious derailment can result in significant injuries or fatalities among the crew.

Passenger trains, such as the Texas Eagle that operates between Chicago and San Antonio, and the Sunset Limited, that operates between San Antonio and Los Angeles, carry more workers. When a passenger train derails, casualties and fatalities can be much more significant.

If you were injured in a derailment, or lost a loved one when a train left the tracks, it is important to learn about your legal rights and options. Although you may be eligible for compensation for your expenses and damages, claims against a railroad are complicated. That makes it important to consult an attorney with knowledge and experience with injuries and deaths resulting from train derailments.

Contact Our Houston Law Firm After a Derailment

At the Houston law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, our lawyers have been helping clients affected by train derailments since 1951. We have the knowledge and experience to provide effective counsel and sympathetic representation after a train derailment changes your life. To learn how we can help, contact our office online or call (713) 222-7211 (toll free 713-222-7211).

Issues in Train Derailments

Why do trains derail? There are many possible reasons, and it is important to work with an attorney who has the knowledge and resources to uncover the truth. Trains leave the tracks for reasons that include:

  • Poor track maintenance
  • Poor equipment maintenance and faulty brakes
  • Incorrect speed limits set for track conditions
  • Exceeding the posted speed limit
  • Switches not set correctly
  • Train too heavy for the type of tracks
  • Engineer error
  • Hitting an object on the tracks

Most derailments are the result of human error or track problems. Human error can involve failing to apply the brakes properly, exceeding the speed limit, not obeying signals, and other failures, primarily by the engineer. Track problems can involve hairline cracks in the rail, switches that do not function properly, and widening of the track gauge (tracks inching apart, usually because of poor roadbed maintenance.)

Contact Our Houston Law Firm

If you suffered an injury or lost a loved one because of a train derailment, find out how a knowledgeable attorney can help you obtain the resources and compensation you need. Contact the Houston lawyers at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner for a free consultation to learn about your options and rights. Call (713) 222-7211 (toll free 713-222-7211).

Free Consultation

We offer a free consultation to prospective clients. If you have been injured and wish to speak to one of our attorneys in a no-cost consultation, please call us at (713) 222-7211. or toll free at 713-222-7211

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