Trains have always inspired adventure and travel, but they pose a danger, too. Minnesota roads boast more than 4,000 railroad crossings, which the state’s Department of Transportation (MnDOT) report are the location of approximately 36 crashes each year, with an average of five fatalities. In addition, if you are a railroad employee, you risk injury more than many other professions.
Because of the sheer size of a train compared to a human or automobile, injuries in a severe train accident can be catastrophic, if not fatal. If a railway carrier is negligent while you are in their employ or crossing railroad tracks by foot or in your car, our experienced railroad injury attorneys are here to help you after sustaining a common injury in a Mankato railroad accident.
When a fully loaded freight train comes barreling down Minnesota’s railroad tracks at 50 mph, it takes the engineer one and a half miles to stop the train if they spot a car or person on the tracks. Even at a reduced speed, the train engine can cause a variety of common injuries including:
Injuries that preclude you from going back to work are considered catastrophic by the medical community. If the railway company is responsible for them, you should be compensated for your losses. Our Mankato attorneys can help you understand all your available legal options when you have sustained an injury from a railroad accident.
The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) was created to compensate railroad workers injured on the job due to others’ negligence. Similar catastrophic injuries can occur when, for example, Mankato railroad workers slip on an oily surface another worker was supposed to clean up or are crushed between cars because the railroad company did not adequately train its employees.
Motorists who are crossing railroad tracks may be broadsided by a train if the warning gates do not descend, lights do not flash, and warning bells do not sound.
Whether you are a private motorist injured at a crossing or a railroad employee, you may be entitled to compensation from the railway company if it was negligent. Our Mankato attorneys can help you recover the wages you will lose while recuperating from your injury due to the railroad accident as well as the money you will spend on medical care.
We also fight for subjective losses. Although they are harder to measure, you may be entitled to damages for your emotional losses, which can include pain, suffering, loss of motion, limbs, or any of the senses, and for recurring stress as you relive the accident. Our attorneys are ready to bring order to your life after the chaos of injuries you sustained.
If you are injured in a railroad accident, the chances are high that you will spend a lot of time recovering from severe injuries. You may even spend a lifetime dealing with your injuries of if you experience a TBI, paralysis, limb loss, or blindness. If the railway company or negligent employee caused your plight, you should not have to shoulder the financial burden.
At Maschka, Riedy, Ries & Frentz Law Firm, our legal team offers Twin Cities expertise as neighbors who have devoted our practice to the Southern Minnesota communities we live in and love. Our attorneys negotiate settlements with large insurers but do not hesitate to fight in court to get you what you deserve. Call us if you suffer injuries from a Mankato railroad accident to schedule a free consultation.
