This accident was like a movie with a horrific collision and fire that gutted two railway cars. It was a completely devastating event that killed six and left rescuers trying to locate another five people. A semi slammed into the side of an Amtrak train at a railway crossing. How that happened is the major unanswered question in this story.
Evidently the truck was in the lead of a three-truck convoy, and slid more than 320 feet before ramming into the crossing gates and T-boning the side of the train. The crossing was clearly marked, the gates were down and the lights were flashing. No one could successfully explain why the driver failed to stop and investigators had trouble examining what was left of the truck as it was buried deep in the rail car.
At the time of the accident, there were 200 people on board and 14 crew members. After the wreck when the staff was doing a head count, they indicated they were missing passengers. They may have gotten off before the crash, or may have fled the accident scene without permission. Nonetheless, the carnage from this wreck haunted officials.
The police indicated they wanted to wait for the results of a toxicology report on the trucker, and while their initial impression was drugs or booze was not involved, they did not want to jump to conclusions without proof. Could it have been fatigue? Was he texting while driving and took his eyes off the road? Was he fiddling with something on the dashboard? Some of these questions might not have any answers, but the families of those who died at the scene of this crash will certainly want to know what caused the trucker to ram the train.
Many of the victim’s families may wish to file wrongful death lawsuits, and those who were seriously injured may want to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer about obtaining compensation for their injuries. Accidents like this do not happen very often, but when they do, the fallout is swift.
Cases involving a big rig are very complex and there are more people involved in a lawsuit. In other words, it is not just the trucker being sued. It is also the trucking company, the insurance companies and maybe even a property broker. It’s a given that cases like this cannot be handled without the help of an experienced Austin personal injury lawyer to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Robert W. Lee is an Austin personal injury lawyer for The Lee Law Firm. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from The Lee Law Firm. Visit RWLeelaw.com.
