Although railroad crossings have become significantly safer over the past few decades, accidents at these sites continue to pose a danger to motorists and pedestrians. In fact, railroad crossing accidents kill more than 250 motorists and 470 pedestrians annually. If you or a loved one has been involved in a railroad crossing accident, contact our experienced railroad injury lawyers at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. today at (205) 933-1500.
Alabama is home to more than 6,000 public and private railroad crossings and 3,500 miles of track. Alabama ranks among the top 10 states in the nation for railroad crossing accidents with 90 vehicle-train collisions and 11 pedestrian fatalities in 2015.
Common Types of Railroad Crossing Accidents
In the United States, a pedestrian or vehicle being struck by a train about every 3 hours. Around 94 percent of all railroad-related injuries and deaths take place at railroad crossings or because of trespassing. The two main types of collisions at railroad crossings involve vehicle-train and pedestrian-train crashes.
There were 2,059 vehicle-train accidents in 2015, which resulted in 244 deaths and 967 injuries. Train-vehicle collisions are often catastrophic as motorists are 20 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than with another vehicle.
Pedestrian-trail collisions have been on the rise since 2011. These types of accidents can occur when people attempt to cross railroad tracks at designated crossings or trespassing along rights-of-way. Across the country, around 500 pedestrians are killed by trains each year and most of these accidents are preventable.
Dangerous Railroad Crossings in Alabama
The vast majority of railroad crossing accidents take place at highway-rail grade crossings, which are intersections in which a highway crosses a railroad at-grade. Active grade crossings are required to have warning signals and control devices that are designed to reduce the risk of accidents. This equipment must be maintained by the government or property owner depending on whether the grade crossing is public or private.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), one of the deadliest railroad crossings in America is located in Evergreen, Alabama. Over the past decade, the Evergreen railroad crossing on Bellville Street, has seen 13 accidents and five fatalities.
Based on crash data over the past decade, the seven deadliest railroad crossings in Alabama include:
- Belleville Street in Evergreen
- Franklin Street in Thorsby
- Piney Chapel Road in Athens
- Bates Lake Road in McIntosh
- Pride Landing Road in Tuscumbia
- 20th Street in NE Fort Payne
- Chadwick Lane in Auburn
If you or a loved have sustained injuries in a vehicle-train or pedestrian-train collision, contact the experienced vehicle accident attorneys at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C., to learn more about your options.
Our skilled team of Birmingham personal injury lawyers has more than 65 years of collective legal experience helping accident victims obtain compensation for injuries that are caused by the negligence of others. We have the resources to thoroughly investigate your accident, negotiate with insurance companies or other parties on your behalf, and fight for the maximum compensation available for your case.
With the help of one of our talented Alabama vehicle injury lawyers, you may be able to recover the following types of compensation:
- Medical costs
- Loss of earning capacity
- Physical pain
- Mental anguish
- Physical impairment
- Disfigurement
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of use of property
Talk to the Alabama Railroad Injury Lawyers at Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. Today
If you or a loved one were injured in a devastating accident, call the railroad injury lawyers from Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. at (205) 933-1500 or use our online form. We offer a case evaluation free of charge and are ready to help you obtain full compensation for your losses. With offices in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery, our Alabama personal injury lawyers will quickly travel to investigate your case.
