FELA Lawyer News Blog

Archive for 2010

NEW YORK CITY – A major fire has engulfed part of the New York City train bridge that is used to protect the bridge from passing boats. Smoke from the fire could be seen as far away as New Jersey.

The fire suspended the Metro North Commuter Train service causing major train delays coming in and out of Grand Central Station. According to ABC News, no injuries were reported and the fire department said marine units were “hitting the fire” with water.
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HAGER CITY, WI – The Wisconsin community of Hager City “really dodged a bullet” in the BNSF freight train derailment near the Ralston Purina pet food plant on September 13, 2010.

Derailed freight cars in Hager City, WI come perilously close to the Ralston Purina pet food plant actually striking the building, but not going through the lightweight steel walls.

Although the derailment did cause some damage, the community was lucky because it could have been a lot worse. ... Read More

KEARNEY, NE – Two Union Pacific (UP) trains passing each other on different lines collided and derailed on September 8, 2010 at about 8:00 p.m. in Kearney, Nebraska. The two trains were going in opposite directions on adjacent tracks at the time.

Twisted wreckage of train derailment from two passing Union Pacific trains in Kearney, NE.

Kearney is in Kearney County, Nebraska in the south central part of the state about 13.5 miles southwest of Gibbon and 42 miles southwest of Grand Island. ... Read More

Hager City, WI – A northbound BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) freight train carrying consumer items from Chicago to Seattle derailed near the Purina pet food plant in Hager City, WI on Monday, September 13, 2010 at about 7:20 a.m.

BNSF train derails in Hager City, WI near the Ralston Purina processing facility on Monday, September 13, 2010. Photo credit RiverTowns.net.

Hager City is in Pierce County, Wisconsin in the eastern part of the state about 51 miles southeast of Minneapolis, MN and about 73 miles southwest of Eau Claire, WI.
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FONTANA, CA – The conductor of a westbound Union Pacific freight train in Fontana, California was critically injured after crashing into the back of a slow moving freight car that was going in the opposite direction on the same tracks.

Union Pacific train conductor's arm amputated in Fontana, CA train accident. Photo credit: KTLA-TV

The accident happened late Thursday evening, September 9, 2010 at about 11:55 p.m. on the tracks that run alongside Interstate 10 (the San Bernardino Freeway) near the Cherry Avenue exit. ... Read More

EUGENE, OR – OSHA officials reported today that Union Pacific Railroad Co was ordered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to pay back wages and punitive damages to a railroad worker who was fired after he reported a work-related injury.

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MOBILE, AL -  A railroad worker for The Alabama State Port Authority, was killed by a train Saturday, September 4, at the McDuffie Coal Terminal, located on the Mobile River at the Alabama State Docks. The McDuffie Coal Terminal is one of the nation’s leading facilities for coal exporting.

Aerial view of McDuffie Coal Terminal on Mobile River at Alabama State Docks

According to Port Authority CEO,  Jimmy Lyons, the victim was a ground person on a train crew at the time of the accident. The victim had been in contact with a terminal railroad engineer in a locomotive that was moving train cars. When the engineer lost contact with the victim, the train was stopped. ... Read More

COON RAPIDS MN – A Burlington-Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad worker was killed when he was struck by a Northstar commuter train in Coon Rapids, MN on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. The train was bound for Minneapolis at the time of the incident.

BNSF railroad worker killed by Northstar commuter train in Coon Rapids, MN on September 1, 2010. Photo credit: Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Coon Rapids is in Anoka County, Minnesota in the east-central part of the state about 11 miles north of Minneapolis. ... 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

DENVER, CO – A train derailed in a Denver, CO rail yard, striking a light tower and knocking it down. The mishap occurred in the Burlington Northern rail yard near 37th Ave. and Globeville on August 26, 2010 around 6:45 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Metal light tower can be seen draped over rail cars after derailment in Denver, CO rail yard

The city of Denver, Colorado is in Denver County in the central part of the state about 9 miles west of Aurora, 8 miles northeast of Lakewood and about 9 miles north of Englewood. ... Read More