Semi-Truck vs. Train Accidents
Semi-trucks accidents can be severe, and train accidents can be equally catastrophic. When a train collides with a semi-truck, the results can be absolutely devastating. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 56,000 injury crashes involving truck combinations and 79,000 persons injured in combination truck crashes in 2017. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTA), there were 1,848 accidents involving trains, with 57 people injured in 2019.
Semi-trucks and trains in Doylestown and throughout the state are both large and powerful modes of transporting freight, and the enormous damage caused by accidents involving them should not come as a surprise. Also unsurprising is the fact that accidents between them typically occur at railroad crossings, usually when a semi-truck fails to move past the crossing in time. If you’ve been hurt in an accident involving a truck or a train, speak to a Doylestown accident lawyer today.
Trains often carry passengers as well as freight. In Pennsylvania, public transportation, including train transportation, is administered by the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association (PPTA), in affiliation with groups such as the Pennsylvania Transportation Resource and Information Network (PennTRAIN). The PPTA was created to advocate for public transportation in Pennsylvania and to support its members in achieving their defined missions.
Who Is at Fault? Our Doylestown Accident Lawyer Explains
Typically, as is the case with most accidents in Doylestown and elsewhere, truck drivers and train conductors blame each other for accidents between semi-trucks and trains. On one hand, semi-trucks are certainly more flexible in their movements, in that semi-truck drivers can control which direction they are moving, as opposed to trains, which direction is dictated by the rail tracks. Further, semi-trucks are able to slow down and speed up much faster than trains.
On the other hand, semi-truck drivers are more susceptible to fatigue-related errors and even flawed judgments and decisions. For semi-truck drivers who are not intimately familiar with the length of their trucks or trailers, they may mistakenly believe they can clear or even have cleared the train crossing entirely in time, thereby causing a collision with an oncoming train.
These situations illustrate the importance of semi-truck driver training and adherence to the hours of service regulations and other rules established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for semi-truck drivers.
Contact a Doylestown Accident Lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis
As discussed above, semi-truck accidents and train accidents, and particularly accidents involving both, are unusually complex, and there are numerous issues involving drivers, conductors, road and weather conditions, cause, fault, and damages. These issues can be difficult to navigate on your own, and your insurance company is not on your side.
This is why anyone involved in these types of accidents needs the help of a Doylestown accident lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis. Our attorneys understand the complexity of the various issues and can help you sort through your various options and assist you in filing any insurance or legal claims.
The attorneys at Drake, Hileman & Davis can help you understand the rules and examine your options if you have been involved in an accident. If you need our help contact us online.