The Texas truck crash injury lawyers at Denena & Points realize that you might not worry much about the possibility of being hit by a train at a railroad crossing. It may be that you only cross rails in urban centers equipped with automatic gates, flashing lights, and loud warning bells.
Our Texas truck crash injury lawyers point out that many rural railroad crossings only have a stop sign to warn you of impending danger. At night or an unfamiliar road, this warning might go unnoticed. Private railroad crossings, such as those that lead into a family farm, often don’t even have stop signs. And they aren’t eligible for the federal funds that often help provide gates and warning lights at crossings. Equipping a railroad crossing with the gates, bells, and lights you’ve come to expect at urban rail crossings can cost well over $100,000.
Owners of the property on which a railroad sits are generally responsible le for putting in any safety warnings at the crossings. Absent federal funds to help defray the cost, they don’t usually install a full set of warning features at private rail crossings.
So a private railroad crossing dubbed “widow woman’s crossing” on the outskirts of Arlington, TX will likely remain a danger to motorists for some time to come. The rail crossing leads into Howell Family Farms, which the owner runs as a special events site, Union Pacific owns the property on which the railroad tracks sit. And traffic through the crossing is rare except during special events. Without prominent rail crossing warnings, our Texas truck crash injury lawyers emphasize that the site presents continuing dangers to the unwary.
Back in October, two freight trains collided near widow woman’s crossing, blocking exit from a special event held at Howell Family Farms. And in late June, the driver of a flatbed truck delivering sod dies when Amtrak’s Texas Eagle slammed into the truck at the crossing. The truck became wedged beneath the train and got dragged some 300 feet. Amtrak and its employees were cleared of wrongdoing in an internal investigation into the incident. It appears the truck drove in front of the oncoming train, perhaps trying to beat it through the crossing. Our Texas truck crash injury lawyers sadly note that the driver left behind a wife and 6 children.
The very builder of the private rail crossing was killed almost 100 years ago at widow woman’s crossing, just two years after building the crossing, by an Interurban trolley. Discussions are underway between Union Pacific Railroad and the owner of Howell Family Farms regarding safety enhancements at the rail crossing. (Source: Gordon Dickson, Fort Worth Star Telegram, 7/22/2012)
Union Pacific emphasizes the private nature of the railroad crossing. Apparently, the special public events now held at the farm aren’t necessarily always conducted with the proper permits necessary for a public venue. The owner of Howell Family Farms has begun taking additional safety precautions at the site and is looking into alternative exits from the property for guests.
The ongoing controversy about what to do at the private railroad crossing reveals the danger to all motorists’ safety at such private rail crossings. Easy solutions to such safety gaps at private rail crossing elude property owners and the public alike due to the expense of installing a full suite of warning devices at little-used crossing sites.
Our Texas truck crash injury lawyers caution that once outside of high traffic urban areas, your safety at railroad crossings largely depends upon your own care and alertness to danger. If you or your loved ones become the victims of injury at a dangerous railroad crossing and you need help recovering fair financial recompense from those responsible for your harm, contact us for a free legal consultation. We’ve been successfully representing innocent injured parties for almost 15 years and helping them to obtain the full financial recoveries they deserve.
We could help you understand your available legal options based upon the unique facts of your case, and guide you to a favorable outcome in your claim. Call our Texas truck crash injury lawyers toll free at 877-307-9500 or use our online contact features to schedule your complimentary initial consultation case evaluation.