Many Rails to Cross

A railway map of Ohio looks something like a diagram of human blood vessels leading from one vital organ to another. In the northeast portion of the state, Akron and Youngstown are connected by rail lines pumping goods in and out of the cities and that are, in turn, linked to other critical parts of Ohio’s body such as Cleveland to the north, and Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati to the southwest.

The state’s Department of Transportation says there are more than 4,000 miles of railroad in Ohio, which means drivers, pedestrians and homeowners are all at risk of being injured near lines and at railroad crossings in train accidents.

USA Today recently reported on train accidents in New York that are costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Why? Because innocent people have been killed in the crashes and others have been seriously injured. In one horrific accident early this year, a 49-year-old mother of three was killed at a railway crossing. Five people on the train were also killed when the train slammed into the SUV on the tracks.

A Poughkeepsie Journal article about the accident said the woman was caught on the tracks by traffic backed up from a motor vehicle accident. The train arrived at the exact moment the woman tried to drive her vehicle across the tracks to safety. Some have blamed the crash on a flawed crossing design that left motorists with poor views of the tracks.

In another rail accident, the train’s engineer apparently fell asleep at the switch. The train was going 82 mph when it derailed along a 30-mph curve. Four people were killed and dozens injured in the 2013 incident.

The accidents illustrate problems experienced in Ohio as well: fatigued railroad employees who are at the controls of enormous, powerful vehicles often carrying hazardous materials, and poorly designed or outdated railroad crossings that put motorists at risk.

The skilled attorneys in the Akron office of Kisling, Nestico & Redick represent clients here and across the state in railroad accident injury claims and property damage claims. Our Railroad Accident Lawyers page has more information about how our experience in these complex matters can help you.