Virginia Train Accident Lawyer
Train accidents are more common than many people realize – thousands of such incidents occur in the U.S. each year – and they are some of the most devastating accidents that a person can experience. If you or a loved one has been involved in a railway accident, a motor vehicle accident lawyer in Virginia can help during this difficult time.
Do I Need a Train Accident Lawyer?
Because some train companies may fall into a special category of entities protected from liability by the government, it’s important to consult a Virginia train accident attorney as soon as you can. There are very specific instances in which it is possible to generate an effective personal injury claim against train companies, and an experienced injury attorney can explain exactly what these may be.
When you work with a Virginia train accident lawyer from our firm, we can investigate your case carefully and make sure that you follow all the proper channels for documenting your injury and the dangerous or negligent circumstances that led to it.
Call today to learn more about your options for filing an injury claim.
Types of Train Accidents
Train-related accidents can involve collisions with motor vehicles or pedestrians, train-on-train collisions, derailments, and other injuries due to hazardous conditions resulting in passenger injuries.
One especially dangerous potential result of a train accident is a hazardous chemical spill that can occur when a train car is carrying a dangerous, toxic or highly flammable substance, such as oil, chlorine gas, styrene monomer or ammonium nitrate. Personal injury claims involving train accidents often include claims for property damage as well, and property owners whose property is damaged by railroad chemical spills should consult a Virginia train accident lawyer.
No matter what type of train accident you were involved in or what train-related injuries you have suffered, your Virginia train accident attorney can be by your side throughout the legal process, fighting to get you the compensation you deserve.
Causes of Train Accidents
There are numerous causes of train accidents, including:
- Improperly working railroad crossing gates
- Poorly marked railroad crossings
- Malfunctioning trains
- Negligent railway engineers
- Unsafely lined railway switches
- Unattended train cars left on operational railways
- Train operator fatigue or impairment
- Excessive speeding
- Pushing train cars from behind without appropriate monitoring
- Pedestrian trespassing
- Stalled vehicles on railroad
Your Virginia train accident lawyer can work with investigators and access necessary information to determine who is responsible for the accident that caused your injuries.
Train Accident Damages
Depending on the facts surrounding the accident that caused your injuries, your Virginia train accident lawyer can pursue compensation from the responsible party for your current medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages and missed work, pain and suffering and other damages. If the responsible party acted in an especially dangerous or negligent manner, you may even be eligible to receive punitive damages, which are intended to deter the defendant party from engaging in similarly harmful conduct in the future.
Train Accidents in Virginia
Virginia has an expansive railroad system, born out of the thriving tobacco industry of the 1800s, which required new transport technology to deliver tobacco to market. Today, Virginia has numerous rail systems, including two freight railroads, several local railroads – called short line railroads – one commuter railway, parts of the D.C. area Metrorail, and a light rail system, totaling sixteen rail systems in all.
Railroad-related personal injury claims are particularly complicated and, depending on the railway involved and whether railroad employees were injured or killed, both federal and state laws may come into play in a court case.
Speak with a Personal Injury Attorney Today
Only an experienced Virginia train accident lawyer can determine which laws may apply and advise you regarding how to preserve your claim so that you can pursue much-needed compensation for the losses you have suffered.