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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
Railroad crossing accidents are much more common than most people realize. According to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, 2005 saw more than 3,000 collisions between trains and motor vehicles in the United States. And there were many other types of accidents, including trains colliding with pedestrians and passengers suffering from the train company's negligence.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
We are always ready to help you deal with a current legal situation. Call us and we'll be happy to spend a few minutes discussing your situation with you. If you contact us with a case, we will always be straightforward with you. We believe that one of the most important gifts an attorney can offer you is honesty about the merits of your case. If your case has merit, we'll tell you. If it does not, we'll let you in on that too. We can be contacted via the phone number, fax number, street or email addresses listed below. You may also use the contact form we have provided.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
Bob Pottroff has agreed to assist the Victims Resource Group in their efforts to help those affected by the Metrolink crash in California. Please visit their website at https://www.victimsresourcegroup.com/ for more information.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
Citizens of Dale, Wisconsin may be seeing new active warning devices at four railroad crossings. The area is under investigation to see if it merits the funding. Funding would come from a mix of state and federal money. One interesting thing to note is that these crossings haven't been the objects of complaint - neither accidents nor other serious problems have been happening at these crossings.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
A potentially dangerous spill south of LA occurred when two rail cars carrying hazardous materials derailed into a local waterway. Officials claim that the leak has been contained, and no injuries have been reported. A total of five cars from BNSF derailed in the rail yard 20 miles south of downtown LA. It is a relief that the spill was contained, though the potential for disaster in the accident was very high. That no injuries are known of is a miracle. Hopefully BNSF takes the cue and makes some attempts at fixing safety problems at the setting - but don't count on it.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
Columbia County, Oregon decided to thoroughly investigate the railroads and rail crossings and came up with a huge list of needed improvements. While any time railroad safety needs are being addressed is a good time, it is sad that the railroad companies themselves, who are making profits off of using these lands, are not spending any of their money on these improvements. They leave it up to the public.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
A long-time railroad worker with BNSF is filing suit against them for a whole host of issues he claims he has developed from his time with them - from neck and spine problems to psychological trauma. While we explicitly do not represent or advocate for railroad employees in order to maintain the integrity of our firm, it is nevertheless worth noting (and quite sadly, not surprising) how consistently bad railroads treat not only the public, but in many cases their workers as well. The list of problems this man is suffering from is pretty tragic.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
Pineville, Louisiana residents are in a fuss about a plan to remove an overpass and replace it with a crossing in order to save money. This man claims that a railroad crossing is absolutely a terrible idea, regardless of costs. "A minimal examination of accident statistics would overwhelmingly concur with retaining an overpass regardless of cost." The man also claims that, "We have electronic devices available that would perform whatever task necessary to warn motorists of approaching trains -- whether it is mechanical arms, lights, sirens or a combination thereof.
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
A family trying to cross a railroad crossing in their friend's borrowed SUV narrowly escaped a great tragedy. The crossing is outfitted with a gate, but the gate was up and not functioning properly when they began crossing. The gate came down as they were on top of the tracks, blocking them in. They were faced with a decision: try to run, or try to back up and break the gate?
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By Pottroff & Karlin LLC | railroad news
As part of the Recovery Act, Amtrak is receiving 1.3 billion in grant funding. This has the potential to turn into good news, though there are no guarantees with railroad companies. Vice President Biden said that "For too long, we haven't made the investments we needed to make Amtrak as safe, as reliable, as secure as it can be." If Amtrak uses money for safety improvements, we will all be grateful. Either way, this is a fresh reminder that railroads are here to stay in the American economy, into the 21st century.
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