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Tag Archives: train accident

January 01, 2018 News
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New York City subway accident injures worker

New York – Wednesday’s subway train collision occurred on the tracks that run between Queens and Manhattan. The train accident involved two trains that were apparently not carrying any passengers. Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers were aboard the subways at the time of the crash and at least one worker was injured as a result. One report shows that the trains involved in the collision were actually work trains, carrying workmen, supplies and tools. The workers were down there doing repair and construction work on the line according to union officials. However, it is still unknown what caused the work accident. That cause is under investigation by transportation safety officials but has many riders concerned. The heavy traffic and speeding trains in the system that was designed so long ago is a recipe for disaster according to some watch groups. They note that negligent maintenance and delayed repairs are all too common, placing the public at risk for injury and death. These problems, some say, are the root cause of the plethora of subway injuries and accidents in the city. Safety advocates are demanding further evaluation of the safety of the mass transit system, with an eye on specific known problem areas. These include lines with prior collisions, near misses and heavy traffic as well as dangerous curves. In addition, slip and fall hazards, platforms and stairs that have a history of trip and fall injury as well as areas of increased smoke and fumes build-up should be evaluated and corrected. You can see more about last week’s work train accident here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Mark Mitchell [License]

December 12, 2017 News
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New York-bound train accident leads to massive derailment

Officials from New Jersey Transit reported that a CSX freight train derailed on its way toward New York this past week. The train was 141 cars long and travelling an unknown speed when the crash occurred, derailing some 21 of the train cars. If the train was speeding or there was an equipment failure it may explain why it derailed. Emergency responders rushed to the accident scene expecting countless injuries. However, responders explain that the train was luckily empty. The only accident victims were the train engineer and conductor, both of which did not require emergency treatment according to reports. Accident specialists note that some accident injuries don’t appear immediately and the two workers are advised to be evaluated by their doctors. They explain that some wounds, such as neck and back injuries due to bulging or herniated disc, may show themselves over the days following this type of crash.

An unrelated train accident in Valhalla, Westchester left a teenager dead, according to police. The 15-year-old girl was hit by the train while she was walking on the train tracks. That accident is thought to be a suicide but investigators are continuing to look into how she was able to get onto the tracks. In addition, they are investigating whether all safety precautions were being followed on the train as well as in the area of the dangerous railroad crossing. You can see more about that deadly accident here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Dale Stewart [License]

January 13, 2017 News
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Train derailment in Brooklyn causes mass casualty incident

New York – Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) company officials confirm that there were over 100 injury victims from this week’s train accident. Reports show that the LIRR train derailed in Brooklyn during morning rush hour as it pulled into the station. Inspectors from the transportation and safety bureaus were unsure as to what caused the crash but they note that the train overran a stopping block. They explain that the bumper is there as a safety design to prevent accidents and collisions. However, it is unclear if the accident occurred due to speed, driver error, broken equipment from negligent maintenance or even human error. Emergency responders from the scene transported the crash victims to various hospitals with wide ranging injuries, including spinal injuries such as neck and back pain, head injury, dental injuries and suspected broken bones. Drug and alcohol testing was underway for the train engineer, according to officials with the National Transportation Safety Board. You can read more about this derailed train here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York [License]

November 15, 2016 News
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Two workers hit by a subway in Brooklyn train accident

New York — A Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subway train accident injured one worker and killed a second victim in Brooklyn. The two transit workers were setting up warning lights to warn subway traffic into the Fort Hamilton station that construction and repair work was underway. The MTA uses these warning lights to signal train operators to slow down or stop. This safety system apparently failed when the workmen we struck by the train as it rounded a bend in the track. One of the MTA employees was injured in the work accident and taken to the hospital for care. However, the other laborer was killed in the train crash after suffering extensive and fatal injuries.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the collision to determine if any negligence may have caused the wrongful death. Union and work safety advocates note that more rigorous safety precautions are needed to protect workers as well as the public. They say that safety protocols must be reviewed and additional safety equipment should be issued to prevent future accidents or injury. Some have also pointed out that proper preventative maintenance is necessary to prevent an accident. Negligent maintenance has become an issue in many fast-paced workplace injuries according to specialists. To find out more about this workers comp injury please see this article.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Barry Pousman [License]

October 10, 2016 News
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Long Island Railroad train accident injured tens of passengers

New York – This week’s train collision involved a passenger commuter train and a maintenance train. Long Island Railroad (LIRR) officials reported that there were approximately 600 passengers on the train at the time of the crash. The initial investigation reveals that the maintenance train got in the way of the commuter one as it was traveling on a nearby track. The closer-than-normal proximity of the 2 trains caused the train accident and led to the train derailment. As the trains collided and then derailed, victims were sent flying in all directions. Emergency responders reported that at least 33 accident victims were injured in the train crash. The injured people were extricated from the wreck and evacuated to area hospitals.

Commuter safety specialists and passengers alike have expressed their outrage. They complain that the train companies must tighten their safety standards to prevent such tragic accidents. They note that vehicles as large and fast as a train require the highest level of safety and accident prevention. Some have contended that safety enforcement has become too lax and has led to negligent maintenance of the equipment. They also warn that engineer drivers often speed and disregard safety directives. Many have pointed to the recent New Jersey train crash that killed one passenger and injured over 100 people on the train and in the train terminal. Federal investigators don’t believe there’s any relationship between these 2 incidents. However, public activists point to the overall environment of lax safety compliance as proof of a more systemic danger that has created a hazardous condition. You can see more about the recent train derailment with updates on the investigation here.

Illustrative photo credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of NY [License]

December 02, 2013 News
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Train accident in Bronx, New York with fatalities and injuries

New York – A train derailed in a deadly accident yesterday involving a Metro-North train on the Hudson line. The train crash left four people killed so far and dozens injured. The injured victims had to be extricated by rescue crews and were triaged on the scene before being transported to hospital emergency rooms in New York City. The train was scheduled to stop in Grand Central Terminal but wrecked before arriving in the station for an unknown reason. According to officials, the cause of the accident is still under investigation with reports showing that the speed limit on that section of the track was supposed to be 30 miles per hour. Crash investigators were analyzing all evidence to determine if the engineer was speeding at the time of the derailment. They will also need to examine the possibility that the crew could have been drunk or using drugs or even taking prescription medications. Experts note that a drunk driver in the case of a train carries much more serious consequences and punishments. A train crash can lead to many more injury victims compared to a car accident and this potential places a larger burden of responsibility on the train company as well as the individual engineer.

Concerned commuters explain that they are worried about the safety of the trains they travel on since this is the third train accident this year involving Metro-North. Activists have demanded that the administration take additional safety precautions in order to prevent additional accidents. Some feel that safety and maintenance has been lacking, leading to these crashes that have injured and killed many victims. Read more about this train crash here.

Photo by Adam E. Moreira (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

October 21, 2013 News
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Increase in New York City train accidents, injuries and deaths

New York – A recent report by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) notes a significant increase in subway and train deaths. Citizens and commuters in the city’s busy transit system have been hit and killed on the train tracks 65 times as of the end of the summer. The number of accidents and deaths has continued to rise since then according to reports. Transportation safety groups fear that this may be an increase that won’t stop unless something is done to prevent further accidents, injuries and deaths. They demand that more be done in way of safety barriers, accident prevention training and proper maintenance. The administration responsible for the safety and health of the people using the subways as well as the workers has looked into possible methods of preventing accidents and even suicides by people getting hit by a train. Unfortunately, according to some sources, the MTA administration has refused to install more safety barriers, fences and railings due to cost. Public advocates have countered that the safety of the public must be the primary concern and the administration must worker harder to find the necessary money. They warn that this type of accident prevention is just as important as the need for continued fixing of broken or faulty equipment. Negligent maintenance is something that also needs to be addressed in order to prevent some of the accidents in the subways, on the tracks and on the train platforms. Experts explain that broken steps, cracked sidewalks or hallways as well as damaged handrails must be fixed without delay. Unfortunately, sometimes these simple hazards are not fixed quickly or properly. Some of these dangerous conditions are just left with a line of yellow construction tape around them, poorly warning bystanders about the true dangers. The fast pace of the public transit system leaves citizens dodging these safety hazards on a constant basis. This can easily lead to a trip and fall accident that leaves the victim injured and confused as to what even occurred.

This past Wednesday saw another pedestrian struck and killed by a train, this time on Long Island. This train accident is still under investigation in order to determine why the pedestrian was hit. Another accident occurred on the tracks in Brooklyn, when a blind man fell off the platform. Luckily a maintenance worker helped save the victim by pulling him back up. Find out more about that near subway accident here.

Photo by Adam J. Sporka at en.wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons