Lately, train accidents have become more common throughout the United States. On Sunday, February 4, 2018, we all woke up to devastating news. News sources reported that Amtrak Train 91 collided with an unmanned CSX train in Cayce, South Carolina, at 2:35 a.m. The train was traveling from New York to Miami.
The cause of the collision appears to be a rail switch that was aligned to the spur (secondary track), causing Amtrak Train 91 to leave its intended route and travel down a track where a CSX train was parked. Sadly, 116 people were injured, and two Amtrak employees were killed. Our sincere condolences go out to Amtrak’s engineer, Michael Kempf, and Amtrak’s conductor, Michael Cella.
We are all left wondering how this collision could have been avoided. Experts have already begun evaluating railroad transportation safety standards and have noted that railroad infrastructure needs to be upgraded. This is likely one of the reasons why we have seen so many train accidents recently. Until infrastructure upgrades are made, we may see more accidents and collisions.
Companies like Amtrak and CSX have to comply with federal and state laws, and when this does not happen, collisions occur. Whether the accident was caused by a lack of training, mechanical failure, negligence on behalf of an employee, or maintenance violations, the attorneys at the Solomon Law Group are prepared to utilize their resources to hold the negligent party accountable for its actions or inaction. We are prepared to handle this particular train accident case as well as others that may occur.
Do You Need a Train Accident Attorney?
If you were a victim of a train collision or derailment, you should talk to an experienced South Carolina Amtrak train accident lawyer as soon as possible. We have handled train wreck claims before. Allow us to do the investigating while you focus on recovering.
