Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Here in Massachusetts, we've experienced several train accidents in recent years. Yesterday morning, two trains collided in Halle, Belgium and killed at least 18 people. Authorities estimate that at least 55 others were injured in the train collision, though they add that these numbers are not final. The crash occurred during morning rush hour as passengers traveled to work. Those not injured were transported away from the scene of the crash by bus. The injured were treated at a nearby sports center, according to the Belga news agency.

The train accident has apparently disrupted other parts of the rail network in northern Europe. Eurostar suspended high-speed train service between London and Brussels, and there were delays in northern France close to the Belgian border.

The cause of the accident is unknown. While snow was falling at the time of the train collision, officials say there was not an unusual amount of snow. The crash is believed to be one of the deadliest train accidents in Europe since the 2006 crash in Montenegro killed 41 people.

Source: 18 killed in Belgian train crash, official says, CNN World, February 15, 2010

Continue reading "Train Crash in Belgium Kills 18 People, Injures Dozens More" »

In Leverett, Massachusetts, authorities are investigating a fatal accident that occurred last Thursday just after 1:20pm. A pedestrian was reportedly hit and killed by an Amtrak Vertmonter train. A spokesperson for Amtrak said the person was trespassing on the tracks.

According to a spokesperson from the University of Massachusetts, the train accident victim was a sophomore political science and philosophy major who was originally from Dax, France.

There were no other injuries. The train was traveling southbound from St. Albans, Vermont, to Washington, DC when the pedestrian accident occurred. It was carrying 63 passengers at the time of the accident and was held on the tracks while the investigation was completed.

UMass student from France killed by Amtrak train, Boston Herald, September 11, 2009

Person struck, killed by train, MyFOXBoston.com, September 10, 2009

Continue reading "Pedestrian Killed in Massachusetts Train Accident " »

A recent Boston subway crash injured 50 people. Fortunately, no one was killed, but the MBTA accident did raise questions about cell phone use among MBTA drivers and train conductors.

However, in Washington, DC last week, a commuter rail accident killed nine people in what officials are calling the worst commuter rail accident in the city's history. That brings the Metro's death toll up to 17 people since the Metro opened, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Investigators say emergency brakes were used on the train that rear-ended another train during rush hour on Monday evening. An estimated 75 people were injured in the train accident, which happened on the Red Line between Takoma and Fort Totten Stations. Nine people were killed, among them the operator of the train that collided with another train that was stopped.

The train crash is under investigation, and authorities say they do not know if human error played a role, although it was recommended to the Metro that they replace older trains.

Toll rises to 9 in D.C. rail crash, Baltimore Sun, June 24, 2009

Officials Seek Clues in Train Crash, New York Times, June 23, 2009

Continue reading "Train Accident on DC's Metro Kills Nine, Injures Many More" »

On Thursday morning, an Amtrak train traveling from New York City to Boston, Massachusetts hit a car that was stranded on the railroad track. Before the train accident, the car had been hit by another propelling vehicle that pushed it onto the railroad track.

The car was totaled, with debris strewn around the site of the accident. Fortunately, the driver of the stranded car had left the vehicle following the first accident. Neither the driver of the disabled car nor the 278 passengers and crew members on board the train were injured.

According to a local investigating officer, “two of the four railroad tracks were shut down because of the debris from the train versus car crash.” Unmanned train crossings pose a very real danger to drivers and pedestrians. Residents near the scene of the train accident hope that the accident will show railroad authorities the need for preventive gates.

Northbound Amtrak Train Struck Stranded Car on Railroad Track, TopWireNews.com, March 27, 2009

Continue reading "Boston-Bound Amtrak Train Hits Stranded Car" »

On Sunday afternoon, an Amtrak train running from Boston to Albany derailed in the town of Russell, Massachusetts. Police say the train accident occurred around 3pm.

The train was carrying 109 passengers and five crew members, but fortunately no one was injured. The train’s crew kept the train upright and brought it to a complete stop. According to several passengers, crews said the freezing and un-freezing ice on the track may have caused the train to derail.

Buses arrived to transport the passengers to Albany. Police are investigating the train accident along with Amtrak.

Amtrak train derailed in Western Mass., MSNBC, March 9, 2009

Continue reading "No Injuries in Western Massachusetts Amtrak Accident" »

According to a Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit that focuses on rail safety across the country, there were 305 deaths at highway-rail grade crossings nationwide in 2007. Mansfield, Norton, and Foxboro have closet to 20 highway-rail grade crossings and those communities have recently experienced tragic train accidents, so state Rep. Jay Barrwos, of Mansfield, and Rep. Betty Poirier, of North Attleboro, teamed up to sponsor a train safety seminar with Operation Lifesaver.

The seminar was held at the Mansfield Public Library and emphasized the importance of being aware when trains are crossing. Look, listen, live. According to Ed O’Connor, the Massachusetts coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, a freight train rolling over a mid-sized sedan can have the same impact on the sedan that a sedan would have running over a 12-ounce soda can. O’Connor added that drivers and pedestrians should not assume that the train will run according to schedule.

All highway-rail grade crossing have signs on the roadside and pavement, but those signs are often overlooked. “Active” crossings ring a bell, flash lights, and block access with a gate when a train in approaching. Drivers who pass over the train tracks in front of an oncoming train incur a $250 fine, plus get $50 a year added to their driver’s insurance policy.

Legislators push for train safety awareness, WickedLocal.com, January 21, 2009

Continue reading "Massachusetts Legislators Sponsor Train Safety Seminar " »

On Thanksgiving morning, a 61-year old Canton man was injured by an Acela Amtrak train en route from New York to Boston. According to local police, Jack Daniels was crossing the railroad tracks at Canton Junction on his way to Honey Dew Donuts when the train accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses said Daniels had just finished crossing the tracks when the train clicked him, skimming his back and ripping his clothes. The train accident victim remained conscious after the accident, though he was in shock.

Within a few minutes of the accident, rescue workers from the Canton fire station arrived and began assisting Daniels, who was later airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition. The Amtrak accident is under investigation by transit police.

Canton Man in Fair Condition after Train Accident, WickedLocal.com, November 28, 2008

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Train Accident Injures Canton Man " »