Why Do Commuter Train Accidents Occur?

This morning’s commuter train accident in Hoboken was a tragic event. According to latest news reports, the train had crashed into a platform inside the NJ Transit terminal early Thursday morning. The crash not only injured many, but caused major damage to the station itself, including a collapsed roof. Since it was during morning rush hour, the train, which had just come from the Secaucus station, was pretty crowded at the time of the accident. Details are still coming out as to how the accident occurred and how many people were injured or killed but it was a terrible incident that caused lots of damage and turmoil.

This isn’t the only commuter rail accident in the country for September. Earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a MBTA Commuter Rail train in Boston. This occurred only a week or two after a 17-year-old Boston University student was struck and killed by another MBTA train.

Exactly how safe are these commuter trains? According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, although commuter trains have much lower death rates than your average car on the road, there are more than 2,500 train accidents that occur every year. The National Transportation Safety Board has found that although fatalities from several modes of transportation had decreased in 2013, railroad deaths had increased by 6 percent, from 840 to 891.

What can be done after a commuter train accident such as the one in Hoboken? Unfortunately, we put our lives in the hands of someone else when we take a commuter train. And many factors can come into play when these accidents occur, such as:

• Lack of operator training or experience
• Malfunctioning equipment
• Poor maintenance to the train or the tracks
• Human error
• Other issues

When a loved one is injured on a commuter train, you may not know what your next steps should be. If you or a family member was involved in this morning’s accident, we urge you to speak with a qualified mass transit accident lawyer from Jersey City now. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.

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