An Amtrak train crashed into another at the Jack London Amtrak station in Oakland, CA on October 12. Both locomotive engines derailed and eighteen people were injured in the crash. The accident occurred when the San Joaquin train from Bakersfield to Oakland ran a red light at the station and hit the stationary Coast Starlight train from Los Angeles to Seattle which was boarding at a scheduled stop.
“According to the Amtrak representative, the train traveling should have never continued past the red signal,” Oakland Fire Department battalion chief Emon Usher told the Associated Press. The San Joaquin train was traveling at a speed of 15 to 20 miles per hour at the time of the collision, said Usher.
An investigation of the accident began soon after the collision. As a result, service at the railroad station was suspended until the next day. According to Amtrak, it plans to work with Union Pacific Freight Railroad, the owner of the railroad tracks, and federal officials to investigate the cause of the crash.
The collision was the second train accident with injuries in the past two weeks in the San Francisco East Bay area in which Amtrak passengers suffered injuries. On September 30, 37 passengers and two crew members were injured when an Amtrak train hit a truck at a railroad crossing near Brentwood. The truck driver and a passenger inside were not hurt in the crash. There were no gates or lights at the crossing.
You need a top train passenger injury lawyer to protect your legal rights and help you recover the financial compensation you deserve. If you have been injured while a passenger on a train or by a train derailment, contact a railroad accident lawyer now to discuss your right to collect money damages. An experienced train passenger injury attorney can find the cause of the train crash or derailment and help you recover the personal injury or wrongful death damages you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced train passenger injury attorney.
