Our Experienced Team of Boston, MA Train Accident Lawyer Experts Will Help You or Your Loved One. Call Our Massachusetts Train Wreck Attorney Specialists 24/7 at
617-787-3700.

Trains and other large common carrier vehicles are convenient for traveling and transporting goods. Their risk of danger, however, has increased due to an increase in speed and mass over time. Trains and common carrier accidents can occur because of human error. These accidents can also occur from other causes, such as derailment, explosions on the carrier and bridge collapses.

Call Our Boston, MA Train Accident Lawyer Experts 24/7 at 617-787-3700. Our Massachusetts Train Wreck Attorney Specialists Are Just A Phone Call Away!

Please Do Not Hesitate to Call Our Expert Boston Train Accident Injury Attorneys Today If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Massachusetts Train Accident at 617-787-3700 or Email Us at info@gilhoylaw.com.

Data on Accidents Involving Train Crashes and Other Common Carriers

Each year, approximately 1,000 people die in train and common carrier accidents. These accidents can occur for a variety of reasons. A couple common situations are:

the negligence of the operator of the train or common carrier, including failure to yield, being distracted by cell phone usage, driver fatigue or excessive speed; and
the negligence of the railway company or common carrier, including negligent track maintenance, security or railroad crossing design.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a train accident, please do not hesitate to contact our Boston train accident attorneys or Boston wrongful death lawyers today at 617-787-3700. We are only a phone call away.

What Are Some Types of Train Crashes That Can Occur?

unsupervised vehicles and runaway freight cars
car derailment
train-person accidents
train-train crashes, including freight and passenger trains, MBTA and MBCR trains, trolleys or commuter rails and light rails
train or common carrier-car crashes
illness or wrongful death
abrupt movements

What are the State and Federal Laws Regarding Train Accidents?

If the injured person sustained damages resulting from the negligence of the operator of the common carrier or the negligence of the railway company, then he or she is entitled to receive damages for that breach of care. The law regulates the operators of common carriers, such as trains, subways and trolleys, and they owe a heightened duty of care to passengers under applicable Massachusetts and federal law.

If you would like more details on your train injury case and federal and massachusetts laws, our Boston train accident lawyer specialists and Boston wrongful death attorneys would be happy to assist you.

Train derailment is the number one cause of all Massachusetts train accidents, and is usually the result of inadequate track maintenance, mechanical failure or conductor fatigue. In the United States and in Massachusetts, the employees of common carriers suffer the majority of injuries sustained in train accidents. A common carrier is a railway or other public transit service that operates for the transportation of goods or people, such as the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). There is an inherent duty on behalf of all Massachusetts common carriers to warn its passengers of any known dangers at all times. An exception to this duty may be found to exist if the danger is one that is obvious to the average Massachusetts passenger. Common injuries that can result due to a Massachusetts train wreck include abrasions, brain trauma, burn injuries, concussions, fractures, head injuries, internal injuries, soft tissue injuries, spinal cord injuries and sprains.

The Department of Transportation Act was established in 1966 in an effort to promote and maintain common carrier safety and efficiency. This act established the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), whose responsibilities include the supervision of all railroad operations and the enforcement of safety regulations. Federal law takes precedence over Massachusetts law in the event that a common carrier crosses the Massachusetts state line and enters another state. Under federal law, common carriers owe their passengers a heightened duty of care at all times. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts regulates common carriers that solely transport people or goods within the state. Under Massachusetts state law, common carriers also owe their passengers a heightened duty of care.

Railroad crossings are a major site of Massachusetts train accidents. A leading cause of these Massachusetts accidents is that many railroad crossings are not protected by appropriate lights and gates. The Department of Transportation is the agency that is responsible for inspecting and up-keeping all railroad crossings. Unfortunately, insufficient personnel at the Department of Transportation has lead to an inferior level of railroad inspection. A Massachusetts train crew always has a duty to maintain safety for individuals aboard a train, as well as any individuals that cross railroad tracks. Massachusetts train drivers must operate at a safe speed and provide sufficient notice of an approaching train to individuals on the track or at crossings, among other responsibilities. Trains generally have the right of way at railroad crossings. However, if a railroad crossing is deemed to be excessively dangerous, train drivers owe a heightened duty of care.

Potential liable parties involved in a Massachusetts train accident typically include train companies, train conductors and operators, maintenance companies, commuter rail authorities, trespassers, construction firms, design firms and engineering firms. Design firms or maintenance companies can be held responsible for a Massachusetts train wreck or accident when a train device is defective or not properly repaired, and, as a result, leads to the train crash. Individuals who trespass on railroad property and whose action, at least in part, causes a Massachusetts train crash or Massachusetts wrongful death can be held criminally liable. When an injury is sustained by a passenger on-board a common carrier, and is the result of the common carrier’s negligence, the injured party typically has a claim against the train driver and the train owner.

In the event that it is determined that the negligence of a common carrier or one of its agents lead to a Massachusetts train crash, victims of the train accident and their families are entitled to compensation. Such monetary compensation can include medical expense reimbursement, rehabilitation expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Common carrier employees, the majority of victims that suffer train accident injuries, are protected under Massachusetts state law, Massachusetts worker’s compensation law and the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). In order to obtain FELA reimbursement, the common carrier must be one that crosses state lines, and the injured employee must show that an act or omission of the common carrier contributed to the sustained injury. There is a three year statute of limitations that limits the amount of time that a Massachusetts resident can file a train accident lawsuit, and claims that are brought against the MBTA must be filed within two years of the accident. It is, therefore, crucial that an expert, highly skilled Massachusetts train accident attorney be obtained immediately after a Massachusetts train accident.

You Were Involved in a Train Crash or Other Common Carrier Accident. Now What?

You or your loved one should immediately seek medical treatment for your injuries. It is possible that you could have internal injuries or a concussion that may not be immediately noticeable. These injuries are still very dangerous. It is also common for internal injuries to affect you days, weeks or sometimes even months after the accident occurred.

After seeking medical treatment to ensure your health, it is important to seek out and carefully preserve all possible evidence that relates to the accident. For example, pictures of your injuries, the accident scene, and those involved in the accident, can prove to be helpful later on during your case. If possible, you should get the names and contact information of the authorities, witnesses and other people that were involved in, or were investigating, the accident.

Perhaps most importantly, please contact the expert team of Boston train accident attorneys or Boston wrongful death lawyers at the Law Offices of Gilbert R. Hoy, Jr. and Affiliates today via phone at 617-787-3700 or by email at info@gilhoylaw.com. Our Boston train accident lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to assist you or a loved one in seeking justice.

Our Massachusetts personal injury lawyers at our Massachusetts law firm are proud to represent Massachusetts personal injury clients from throughout the Commonwealth.

Our Mission

The mission of our Boston, Massachusetts train accident law firm is dual.

Our Boston train crash lawyers work diligently to provide outstanding legal representation for every one of our Massachusetts train accident clients. As a result of our Boston train accident attorneys’ extensive legal knowledge, tenacity, determination, compassion and wide range of expertise and skill regarding Massachusetts train accidents, our Massachusetts train accident injury attorneys have an outstanding track record of success and accomplishment for our personal injury clients. Our Boston, MA train accident attorneys will simply not settle for second best.

Second, our Boston train accident lawyer specialists always provide our clients with exceptional client service. This is as important to us as the outcome of your train accident case. Our Boston, MA train crash law office keeps every client completely informed of the progress of his or her train accident case. As part of this commitment and overriding objective, all of our train accident clients are copied on all correspondence from us, and we make it a priority to promptly respond to all phone calls and other inquiries from our clients. Our level of client service and client dedication truly distinguishes us from other Massachusetts train accident law firms. The train accident attorneys at our train accident law office never act on behalf of a client without first discussing the matter at hand with our client and jointly coming to a decision. Our Boston train crash law office endeavors to represent each of our clients as so to ensure that our clients receive the individualized, detailed attention that their unique train accident case deserves.

The driving motivations of superior client relations and exceptional legal counsel exemplified by our Boston lawyers make us a law firm you can trust and to count on.

Our Boston, MA Train Accident Lawyer Specialists Are Available 24/7 To Help You. Call Our Massachusetts Train Wreck Attorney Specialists Now at 617-787-3700. Your Needs Are Our Top Priority!

Please Contact Our Boston, MA Personal Injury Lawyer Experts if You or Your Loved One Has Been Injured In a Massachusetts Accident. Our Massachusetts Personal Injury Attorney Specialists Can Be Reached at 617-787-3700 or Email Us at info@gilhoylaw.com.

Call Our Boston Personal Injury Lawyers Today at 617-787-3700 or Email Our Boston, MA Injury Attorneys At info@gilhoylaw.com
Our Massachusetts Personal Injury Law Lawyer Specialists are Available to Assist Our
Massachusetts Personal Injury Accident Clients Twenty Four Hours a Day, Seven Days a Week.

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Our Experienced Team of Boston, MA Train Accident Lawyer Experts Will Help You or Your Loved One. Call Our Massachusetts Train Wreck Attorney Specialists 24/7 at 617-787-3700.