railroad accident attorney in Arvada

Railroad accidents happen a lot more frequently than most people realize. Railroad accidents that cause serious injuries and even deaths can happen in many different ways. Railroad accident injuries and deaths can happen when there are derailments, railroad crossing accidents with cars, injuries at train station platforms, and many other types of accidents that happen in and around railroads, trains, and rail tracks. 

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there were 2,131 railroad crossing collisions with vehicles in 2021.  Also, in 2021, there were 237 railroad crossing fatalities and 653 railroad crossing injuries in the United States. The most important thing to do if you are seriously injured in a train accident is to call an experienced and skilled railroad accident attorney. Contact the railroad accident attorneys at Gerash Steiner Blanton, P.C. today.

What an Arvada Railroad Accident Attorney Can Do for You?

You are entitled to compensation for your injuries. The only way to be fully and fairly compensated is to have an aggressive legal team on your side. The railroad accident attorneys at Gerash Steiner Blanton, P.C, have decades of experience handling complex cases. They have decades of trial litigation experience and are not afraid to fight for your rights in court.

Railroad companies and their insurance companies are huge corporations with a lot of power and resources. The only way to hold them accountable for their negligence and the injuries they cause is to hire the right law firm. Here are just a few things that hiring an experienced train accident lawyer can do for you and your family:

  • Answer all of your questions about your railroad accident injury claim;
  • Help make sure any unpaid medical bills are paid;
  • Investigate the incident and obtain any accident reports compiled by law enforcement and other investigating government agencies;
  • Track down any witnesses and secure their recorded statements so that their memory of the incident won’t fade over time;
  • Hire an accident reconstruction expert if necessary to prove how the crash occurred and who was at fault;
  • Compile all of your medical records and secure an expert medical opinion as to your diagnosis;
  • Prepare and attempt to settle the case for above the average settlement amount for these types of cases; and
  • File a lawsuit and take the case to trial if necessary if the railroad and insurance company doesn’t settle.

Common Causes of Train Accidents

A large railroad is a complicated system full of moving parts. There are many ways that railroad employees could be negligent and cause accidents. Some of the incidents are minor and don’t cause injuries, but in many cases, the incidents are significant and often involve many people being injured. Here is a list of common causes of railroad-related accidents:

  • Negligence by railroad company employees such as train engineers, maintenance people, inspection employees, and other employees of the railroad company;
  • The malfunction of the various machines involved in the railroad industry, such as switch or signal devices, train engines, brakes, warning signals and devices, railroad crossing gates, and warning signs;
  • Defectively designed equipment that causes a train accident such as a derailment;
  • Poorly installed and maintained railroad tracks that can cause derailments;
  • Train stations and train platforms that have dangerous conditions—such as tripping and slipping hazards—that can cause serious injuries; and
  • Failing to inspect the tracks or putting in place systems and procedures that ensure conditions with the tracks that could cause train accidents and derailments.

Common Types of Railroad Accident Injuries

Many railroad accidents involve individuals or single vehicles. But some incidents are mass-casualty events where several or even dozens of people are injured or killed. Regardless of the number of victims, there are usually very severe injuries, especially given the size of a moving train. Here are the common railroad accident injuries that we see in our railroad accident law practice:

  • Spinal cord injuries:  These types of injuries involve damage to the spinal cord that runs up and down the back and is surrounded by vertebrae. These injuries can involve a severed spinal cord that can cause paralyzation. Spinal cord injuries can also consist of herniated or bulging discs.
  • Brain Injuries:  Brain injuries are considered catastrophic because a severe blow to the head can cause someone to lose the ability to live a normal, functioning life. A serious brain injury is often referred to as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBIs can consist of concussions, fractured skulls, and other damage to the brain.
  • Broken bones:  Obviously, being struck by a huge train that weighs thousands of pounds can cause many broken bones throughout the body. This injury includes compound fractures where the bone pierces the skin.
  • Burn Injuries:  Burns are some of the worst types of injuries to suffer. Third-degree burns can penetrate through the skin and into the muscle. The amount of pain associated with burn injuries is some of the most intense someone can experience. Severe burns can also cause significant and permanent disfigurement.
  • Wrongful death: Many victims lose their lives in railroad accidents due to the negligence of railroad employees and railroad companies. 

Wrongful death claims are a separate type of lawsuit that your lawyer will have to file on behalf of the deceased individual as well as the family. The best course of action is to hire a law firm that has successfully handled dozens of wrongful death lawsuits over the past decades. You don’t want to trust such a serious case to just any lawyer, especially to one who doesn’t handle these cases regularly. 

Contact Our Attorneys Today

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a railroad accident, your best decision is to contact an Arvada railroad accident lawyer to help you. These types of cases can be very complex and difficult to win. But with an experienced law firm that has decades of successfully representing injured Colorado victims on your side, you will have a team fighting for your rights. We are here to answer your questions and help you get full and fair compensation for your injuries. Contact us today to discuss your case.

Our experienced legal team handles other types of cases as well, including: