With trains hauling carloads of crude oil and gallons of flammable liquids allow opportunity for explosion and risk. The risks of train travel may be the cause of multiple negligent reasons from the judgement error of the conductor to a distracted pedestrian crossing the tracks. Negligence is still present and will always be an issue.
Negligent train travel includes:
Conductor error
-Fatigue is not only a common cause of motor vehicle accidents, it's also common in train accidents. It is the conductors responsibility to safely operate the vehicle at all times. People make errors everyday and unfortunately some errors have more consequences than others. Not only does fatigue cause the train operator to be negligent but the use of drugs and alcohol substances will cause impairment of judgment.
Distracted pedestrian
-There are so many things that catch our attention and distract us from our current state. Cell phone use is the top distraction for pedestrians. While using their cell device a person is looking down, diverting their focus to their phone instead of what is in front of them, causing them to walk into traffic, people, and trains! People tend to walk slower and pay less attention to the risks ahead of them while using their cell device. Music is another distractions for pedestrians, causing both sensory and cognitive distractions. With the headphones in the ear and the music loud impair the ability to hear warning signals, such as a train horn.
Negligent motor vehicle operator
-Distracted driving due to cell phone use, changing the radio, eating and driving, or even grabbing an object from the backseat from the vehicle all play a role in negligent behavior from the driver. All of these distractions impair the ability of the driver to see an oncoming train or warning signal. Some rail crossings have levels that propel down to signal to the driver to stop because an oncoming train is approaching. If a driver is in a rush for any reason, some may decide to ignore the levels and try to speed past them causing an accident with another motor vehicle, the level itself and the oncoming train.
Stalled car
-Oddly enough there is no exact explanation on why cars stall on train tracks. Although there are theory's suggesting that causes may be due to poor car maintenance , running out of gas, or a magnetic field effecting the starter of the car. Needless to say all of these theories are a cause of negligence and with proper attention may be avoided.
If you have been involved or know of anyone who has been involved in a Texas railroad accident and need to recover compensation , please contact our firm as soon as possible.
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