Personal Injury Law

Woman Critically Injured in Spokane Valley Train Accident

By Kirk Bernard, Esq.

A 44-year-old woman suffered critical injuries in a Washington train accident after her minivan was broadsided at a crossing by a train traveling at 48 mph. According to an Associated Press news report, the woman had just dropped off a child in an elementary school when the accident occurred. She was transported to a local hospital.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2006 alone, train accidents caused 909 fatalities and 8,244 injuries nationwide. Railroad employees, passengers in other autos at railroad crossings, passengers aboard trains, or pedestrians walking on or near railroad tracks are among those injured in these dangerous train accidents. Sometimes, these collisions happen because of the fault of other drivers. But very often, these accidents occur due to the lack of safety features at these street-level train crossings or when the safety features such as crossbars or lights fail to work at the crossings. These types of accidents could also occur as a result of the train operator's error.

Full post as published by Seattle Injury Blog on January 12, 2010 (boomark / email).