FELA Lawyer News Blog

Archive for May, 2010

CHATTANOOGA, TN – A CSX train derailed in downtown Chattanooga, TN on Sunday afternoon, May 23, 2010 at around 4:30 p.m. The derailment involved 28 cars which jumped the tracks near the 3200 block of Broad Street and St. Elmo Ave. near the old Wheland Foundry site.

Chattanooga is located in the southeastern part of the state near its southern border with Alabama and Georgia. It is about 133 miles southeast of Nashville and about 316 miles east of Memphis. ... Read More

ENID, OK — A train belonging to Farm Rail Company derailed on the BNSF railway closing three intersections this morning in Enid, OK. The incident occurred at about 10:20 a.m.involving three cars that derailed along Johnson Avenue, closing the crossings at Broadway, Elm and Randolph avenues.

The rail cars were cleared from BNSF Railway tracks and three crossings were reopened about 2:40 p.m. today, police Lt. Eric Holtzclaw said. ... Read More

FLORENCE, SC – Two CSX train cars derailed on Friday afternoon, May 21, 2010 in a Florence rail yard causing the closing of several crossings in Florence. According to SCnow.com CSX employees were working to re-rail two train cars on Friday afternoon.

The train was traveling from Charleston, S.C. to Hamlet N.C. It was not carrying any hazardous or dangerous materials, said Gary Sease CSX director of corporate communications. ... Read More

MEBANE, NC – A fiery truck-train collision occurred in Mebane, North Carolina on Thursday, May 13, 2010 when an Amtrak commuter train collided with a semi truck, injuring thirteen and shutting down service between Charlotte and Raleigh for most of the day. The train-truck accident occurred in Alamance County at the 5th Street crossing in Mebane, NC. The accident area is in the north central section of the state, 112 miles northwest of Fayetteville, NC and 42 miles south of Danville, Virginia.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning Barry C. Lazaro of Wake Forest, NC was driving a semi flatbed trailer truck on 5th Street in downtown Mebane, NC, carrying a backhoe on the flatbed section of the rig. The trailer truck is owned by Lazaro Contracting, Inc., based in Raleigh. ... Read More

ORISKANY, NY – An Amtrak train struck some debris from a CSX train operating on a parallel track in Oriskany, New York, just outside the border of Whitestown on Sunday, May 16, 2010. about 12:15 p.m. The accident caused the trains to sideswipe each other, ripping a 3 to 4-inch gash in the 2,000 gallon fuel tank of the passenger train and causing about 900 gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the tracks.

Whitestown is about 2 miles southeast of Oriskany. Oriskany is located in the north-central part of the state, about 8 miles northwest of Utica, about 247 miles northwest of New York City, about 128 miles east of Rochester, about 191 miles east of Buffalo and about 100 miles northwest of Albany. ... Read More

WASHINGTON DC – On Monday, May 17, 2010, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced the proposal of a rule that would ban the improper use of electronic devices by railroad employees while on duty. The announcement was made by U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in his ongoing campaign to stop distracted driving.

A PDF of the Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register can be downloaded here.

The proposed rule is the latest in a number of actions taken by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to combat distracted driving. Secretary LaHood initially announced plans by the DOT to vigorously pursue steps to reduce the risks posed by distracted driving during a Distracted Driving Summit in September 2009. ... Read More

DETROIT, MI – A semi truck collided with a Norfolk Southern train in southwest Detroit, Michigan on May 14, 2010 at about 5:40 a.m. Four people were injured as a result of the incident. The train and semi truck accident occurred just west of Oakwood Heights in an industrial area of the city.

The crash occurred at the railway crossing on Mellon Street just east of Schaefer Highway. The site of the crash is about 7 miles southwest of downtown Detroit. ... Read More

THERMOPOLIS, WY – According to railroad officials, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) train derailed on May 12, 2010 around 12:30 p.m. The derailment occurred along a 50-foot embankment alongside the Wind River about five miles south of Thermopolis at the north end of the Wind River Canyon.

According to BNSF spokesman, Gus Melonas, the train originated in Laurel, MT. It was destined for Denver, CO when the derailment occurred. ... Read More

CHARLESTON, WV – CSX has opened a new hotel in Boone County for railroad workers in response to the 2008 Rail Safety Improvement Act that mandates 10-hour rest periods for railroad workers and signal employees as reported by the Associated Press.

The Oak Tree Inn is a new 25-room hotel that will cater to train crews that work in Elk Run and Danville.

A CSX spokeswoman says the rooms are quiet, clean and dark, allowing crews an undisturbed rest period no matter the time. The hotel also has a crew lounge with recliners, a 55-inch television, microwave, exercise room and computer workstation.

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Gordon &amp Elias, LLP, are top nationwide FELA lawyers representing railroad workers injured on the job who need experienced attorneys knowledgeable in the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). For more information and expert advice, call 800.773.6770.

MARSHALL, TX – A Union Pacific train derailed on Monday afternoon, May 3, 2010, in Marshall, Texas. The accident occurred at approximately 1:20 pm in the downtown rail-yard where the Marshall Depot is located, missing the historic Marshall Depot by about 10 feet. The depot is also where the railroad museum and Amtrak station is located.

The Marshall Fire Department reported on the day of the accident that about 14 train cars derailed, and about half were still on their sides. ... Read More