FELA Lawyer News Blog

Archive for the ‘Texas Railroad News’ Category

KILLEEN, TX – Joe Faust, a spokesperson for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), gave an accounting to local news KXXV about a BNSF train that collided with a garbage truck on Monday morning, May 30.

Faust said the collision happened on the College Street crossing of the tracks near Avenue E in Killeen shortly after 11 A.M. No one was hurt in the crash and no hazardous chemicals spilled from the train either. ... Read More

San Antonio FELA lawyer, Bryan Cartall, 61, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery in a case in Cleveland, Ohio and faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.

Cartall faces the criminal charge of paying a cash bribe to two railroad union officials so that injured union members would seek representation from his firm. ... Read More

CORSICANA, TX – A Union Pacific freight train derailed in Corsicana, TX on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Corsicana is in Navarro County Texas in the eastern part of the state about 189 miles northwest of Houston and about 57 miles southeast of Dallas.

Derailed freight cars shown tipped over onto their sides along with a large section of damaged track in a Union Pacific freight train derailment in Corsicana, TX shortly after noon on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Photo credit: Bob Belcher / Corsicana Daily Sun

Six cars jumped the tracks in the mishap, which occurred about 12:18 p.m. in a section of track near W 12th Ave. between S 12th St. and S 14th St. near the Oil City Iron Works.
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HOUSTON, TX – A Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train derailed near downtown Houston on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

BNSF train derails near downtown Houston, TX on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Photo credit: KTRK TV Houston, TX

Houston is located in Harris County, Texas in the southern part of the state, about 51 miles northwest of Galveston and about 163 miles southeast of Austin. ... Read More

AMARILLO, TX – A railroad employee who worked for BNSF was injured on Tuesday, February 22, when a railroad tank released sulfuric acid.  The accident occurred at 1900 S. Johnson St. and the vapors escaped the tank about 9:35 a.m., Fire Capt. Wes Hall said.

The worker was unidentified, but four Amarillo firefighters responded to the incident and arrived on the scene to treat the injured worker. ... Read More

HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS 269th JUDICIAL DISTRICT –  FELA lawyer, Gordon &amp Elias, LLP, represent a 46-year old railroad worker from Harris County, Texas, who was performing his duties as a machine operator helper while in the employment of Union Pacific, when he was caused to suffer physical injuries due to the negligence of Union Pacific.

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FT. WORTH, TX – BNSF has issued a news release in response to an investigative report about BNSF’s conduct in grade crossing and railroad employee safety issues reported by The Minneapolis Star Tribune, calling the report bias.

In their investigative report, The Minneapolis Star Tribune identified 13 cases in which judges allegedly disciplined the railroad for destroying evidence and other legal wrongdoing. At issue was an investigation into a 2003 rail crossing collision that killed four people. ... Read More

OSHA’s Region 7 Office announced Wednesday that BNSF has been ordered to pay an employee over $95,000 for violating the Whistleblower Provisions of the FRSA. BNSF suspended the employee for 30 days after he reported an on-the-job injury. BNSF suspended the employee for 30 days for allegedly using the wrong tool in the incident in which he was hurt. OSHA’s investigation concluded that the tool was not available to the employee until after he was hurt.

An OSHA investigation upheld the employee’s allegation that the Ft. Worth, Texas-based railroad issued him a Level S 30-day record suspension and one-year probation in retaliation for reporting a work-related injury. ... Read More

BROWNWOOD, TX – Traffic was stopped on Sunday, October 24 in Brownwood, Texas after a train derailed at the railroad crossing at Main and 4th Streets.

Derailed train stops traffic in Brownwood, TX on Sunday, October 24, 2010.

Brownwood is in Brown County, Texas in the central part of the state about 186 miles northwest of San Antonio. ... Read More

FORT WORTH, TX — Several BNSF rail cars carrying coal derailed near downtown Fort Worth Sunday night August 29, around 8:20 pm, interrupting part of the Trinity Railway Express between Fort Worth and Dallas early Monday morning. The BNSF train shares the Union Pacific tracks with TRE, which is co-owned by Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

A train pulling coal cars derailed east of downtown Fort Worth, TX, Monday Aug. 30, 2010.The incident disrupted a commuter rail line connecting Fort Worth and Dallas. Star-Telegram/David Kent

According to WFFA-TV, several of the train cars could be seen turned over, with a few actually off the tracks. The accident led to some buckling on the tracks as well. As a result, there will be no service between the two TRE stations downtown and the Richland Hills station for the Monday morning rush hour. The transit agency, which is operated jointly by The T and DART, will set up a “bus bridge”from the Richland Hills Station to ferry commuters around the derailment. ... Read More