Car Accidents Involving Trains: Preventive Measures, And What To Do If You Survive
Every year, dozens of passenger vehicles get stuck on train tracks. It is a bizarre and freakish accident situation, to be sure. You could just be driving along, minding your own business, when your car or truck suddenly dies on the railroad tracks. If you are lucky, there are no trains approaching. If you are not lucky, you only have seconds to extricate yourself from the vehicle and run, or extricate the vehicle out of the way of the train.
So, how do you prevent such car accidents from occurring? If you do find yourself in that tight spot, do you know what to do next? How do you deal with the aftermath of the incident, and should you sue anybody? What happens if people sue you? The following suggestions should keep your train of thought on the right tracks.
Car Maintenance
Car maintenance can play a big part in avoiding any accidents that involve a stalled engine. Annual tune-ups to parts repair when your car warns you of a problem can help. Also, if you continue to drive a car that occasionally stalls out, steer clear of railroad tracks.
Stuck on the Tracks
If and when you do become stuck on railroad tracks, take a few seconds to see if you can get the car or truck moving again. If you cannot, get out of the vehicle and get away from the tracks. There is so little time to move to safety when a train does barrel down on you that it is best if you are already out of the vehicle. When you are a safe distance away, call the local police and alert them to your problem. Then call for a tow truck.
If a train is barreling down on you while you are still in the vehicle, get out and run away from the tracks but toward the direction of the train. This is a survival tip for anyone in this situation. It keeps you moving toward safety and away from any flying debris that the train causes when it hits your vehicle on the tracks.
Call Your Accident Attorney
Despite the fact that your vehicle got stuck and you could not remove it on time, you may be the one sued by several people. The train itself would show signs of damage, the train might have derailed and taken the lives of others, several people might be injured, etc.. All of those people, including the railroad company and its engineers, could sue you.
Conversely, you may be able to sue the railroad company IF there was plenty of time for the engineers to stop and they chose not to stop. You can also attempt to sue the manufacturer of your vehicle if you discover that there was a recall on that particular make and model for reasons similar to that which caused your accident. There are a lot of legal issues at play here when an accident of this sort occurs.
Filing Suits and Countersuits
In cases of an accident where stalled vehicles and trains meet, lawsuits are inevitable. You should hire an accident attorney right away, since you will need his/her help for suits filed against you, and suits you file for compensation. IF you were somehow hurt, you will need help determining who is responsible, especially if you alert the police and call for a tow truck but a train gets to your vehicle before the police and the towing company do. Sometimes you may be able to sue the towing companies as well, since they are required to prioritize emergency cases, and a car on railroad tracks is always more urgent than cars on the side of the road.
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