While train collisions may not be the most common type of transportation accident, they can be horrific when they occur. A devastating train crash in Southern California in 2008 resulted in 25 fatalities and injuries to another 125 people. Similarly, South Carolina was the location of a railroad crash in 2005 in which a tanker transporting Chlorine was damaged causing the toxic chemical to be released. Residents in the vicinity (5,400 people) had to be evacuated. The crash also killed nine people and resulted in injury to 554 people. What these railroad accidents have in common is that they were caused by human error – they were preventable.
In the wake of the California train crash, Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act. The law imposed a requirement that the rail industry install crash avoidance systems that override manual operation in the event of human error to avoid train accidents. The technology referred to as Positive Train Control (PTC) can override manual operation and apply the brakes to a train to avoid a railway collision. The Rail Safety Improvement Act imposed a requirement that PTC technology be added to 70,000 miles of train tracks by the end of 2015. The railway tracks subject to the legislation are those used to transport passengers and/or toxic chemicals.
PTC technology operates by utilizing wireless communication, GPS and control centers to track the position and speed of trains. The system can apply the brakes to a train when it detects an imminent train crash. PTC can also prevent train derailments and prevent trains from entering the wrong track.
Some legislators in Congress have introduced a bill to roll back the requirement of the PTC as part of a larger anti-regulation campaign. The bill would postpone the date of compliance until 2020 at the earliest and reduce the amount of track covered by as much as twenty percent. Those who oppose the implementation of the Rail Safety Improvement Act argue that the cost is too high given the relative safety of trains and that the technology is still not ready for use. Critics of current PTC technology argue that the technology can prevent head-on train crashes and side impact crashes but cannot prevent all rear-end train crashes.
However, the National Transportation Safety Board has identified twenty additional train accidents since 2001 that would have been prevented had PTC technology been in place. Based on this data, PTC technology would have saved 53 lives and prevented almost a thousand injuries on top of preventing the California and South Carolina train accidents.
While it is still too early to tell what will happen, the reality is that train collisions typically result in serious injury and even wrongful death. If you or someone you love has been injured or a loved one has died in a Mississippi train crash, the experienced Mississippi train crash accident attorneys at Barrett Law may be able to help you obtain the financial compensation to move past your tragedy. The experienced Mississippi train accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to Mississippi railroad accident victims for over 75 years. We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.
