Personal Injury Law

Missouri has thousands of dangerous railroad crossings

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

A Fox 4 Kansas City report has revealed Missouri has more than 2,000 dangerous railroad crossings without working warning lights or bells.

The report is a follow up to a story of a Trenton, Missouri railroad crossing accident that claimed three lives. At that intersection, there were no warning lights or automatic crossbars. Drivers have to stop before crossing to make sure no trains are approaching, but this can be more of a problem than it first seems. The crossing sits at the crest of a small hill and this can make it hard to stop in wet or icy conditions. Visibility may also not be 100% and it's not unreasonable for a safe and defensive driver to come to a full stop, scan for trains, and still miss an oncoming locomotive.

According to the Fox 4 report, the reason for so many unregulated crossing with only a warning sign is funding disputes. The state will pay to put up warning systems, but these automatic lights are expensive. Only a handful are installed every year across the state due to budget limitations. The railroad companies can also install warning systems themselves, but often fail to do so, leaving drivers to fend for themselves at these dangerous intersections.

Aside from the lack of crossing guards, a number of other risk factors contribute to Missouri railroad crossing crashes. Bushes and overgrowth can build up at crossings to obstruct the view of drivers and train conductors may fail to sound their horn as they approach the crossing.

Another problem seen at certain crossings is when companies park their trains near an intersection. Drivers get used to seeing a parked train near the road and eventually ignore it. When you look at a train head-on, it's often hard to tell how fast it's moving or whether it's even moving at all. Drivers may then mistake a moving train for one of the parked trains they are used to seeing and make a deadly mistake.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a Missouri railroad crossing collision, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your rights as an accident victim. Holding railroad companies responsible for dangerous crossings may be the only way to fix this deadly problem and prevent more lives from being lost.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on May 29, 2010 (boomark / email).