Personal Injury Law

Statistics on train-vehicle crashes

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

In following up on a previous post about Missouri train-vehicle crashes, I wanted to post some statistics related to the problem both in the St. Louis area and around the country.

Nationwide, there have been over 30,000 railroad crossing accidents and 3,600 deaths in the past decade. While uncontrolled railroad crossings can be very dangerous, about half of all railroad crossing collisions occur at sites with warning devices as drivers will try to beat the train even when they know it's coming.

St. Louis happens to lie on the border of two of the most dangerous states when it comes to fatal car crashes at railroad crossings. Illinois ranks #1 as the most dangerous state and Missouri comes in at #10.

The causes of these crashes vary from case to case, but generally, they are either caused by driver error, unsafe conditions at the crossing, or some mix of the two. Too often we hear about a driver who saw a train coming, but thought he could beat it over the crossing. In many other cases, a responsible driver will simply not be aware of a train due to obstructions along the tracks, a lack or warning lights, or a conductor who fails to blow a warning horn when approaching.

In some cases, the victims may be entitled to damages from the railroad company. It is in the best interest of accident victims to contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer to make sure their rights are protected.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on May 31, 2010 (boomark / email).