Union Pacific Train Struck and Killed Pedestrian on Railroad Tracks
A pedestrian was hit by a Union Pacific train at about 4:00 in the early morning hours in North Highlands on February 10, according to local authorities. The pedestrian was reported to be on the tracks when the accident happened. The train was heading west in the vicinity of the Roseville Road and Longview Drive intersection. Both the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and emergency responders were called to the scene. Attempts were made to revive the pedestrian, but the man died at the accident site. Pending notification of family, an identification of the pedestrian will be issued by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office. An investigation was conducted into why the crash occurred; however, it was unknown why the pedestrian was on the tracks. This accident is the second train accident in less than a week involving Union Pacific around Sacramento.
Losing a Loved One in a Pedestrian Accident
Fatal pedestrian accidents can be devastating for the family. Aside from grief and disbelief that the person is gone, it brings the family face to face with dismay that anyone could be so careless. By filing a wrongful death lawsuit, the family is able to take the wrongdoer to task for their negligent behavior and possibly prevent them from doing it to someone else. It is important to speak with your personal injury lawyer to see if it is possible to file a claim against the defendant or his or her insurance company. When a public form of transportation is involved, it is incumbent on the family to protect the public from similar loss by holding the driver or engineer or the owners of the transport liable.
Train Accidents
Train accidents kill almost 1,000 people in this country every year. Every one hour and forty minutes, one person dies in the United States. Although not used as much as other forms of transportation, there are approximately 12,000 train accidents annually. This includes all types of trains such as freight, long-distance passenger, subways and trams. Overall, there are about 600 railroads, 209,000 railroad crossings, and several hundred thousand miles of tracks. However, there are more dangers associated with trains. For instance, trains haul hazardous materials, and at least twice a month, one of them derails. In addition, about 80 percent of all train crossings do not have warning lights or gates intended to keep pedestrians and vehicles off the track when a train is approaching.
Why Do Train Accidents Happen?
The top reasons most train accidents occur are:
- Human error
- Speeding
- Suicide
- Negligence
- Reckless drivers
- Derailments
- Mechanical problems
- Defective tracks
- Stalled vehicles on the railroad tracks
- Faulty railroad crossings
How an Attorney Can Help
Our firm is experienced in pedestrian accidents and has worked with families who lost a loved one due to negligence. We send our investigative team to the accident scene to search for evidence that proves that the liable party was negligent. Our investigators use accident reconstruction techniques to determine liability. In train accidents, they will also review the logs kept by the engineer and the train company and determine if similar mishaps previously occurred. Our investigators also interview workers and search for poor maintenance on the tracks or with the train itself. Once all the information is compiled, the data is given to our legal team to build a strong case for our clients.
North Highlands Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a North Highlands wrongful death lawyer. If a member of your family is killed due to a train accident or other pedestrian death, reach out to me for free, friendly, and compassionate advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. I can also be reached online.
I’ve been helping clients in North Highlands for over 38 years with car crashes, pedestrian accidents, and other traumatic events.
I am a proud member of the Million Dollar Advocates and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
Learn more about my practice by reading peer and former client reviews and reviewing some ways in which I resolved previous cases on the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/condolences-trauerkarte-letters-3991589/
:cd llo [cs 694]