There was an accident involving a Caltrain commuter train and two construction cranes in San Bruno, California on March 10, 2022. Reports indicate southbound Caltrain #506, en route from San Francisco to Gilroy struck two construction cranes that were on the tracks performing work. There were 75 passengers on the train at the time of this violent accident. A fire broke out after the collision. At least two Caltrain workers were injured in the accident. The driver of one of the involved cranes was taken to San Francisco’s St. Francis Memorial Hospital for serious burns. A number of passengers were also injured in the incident.
According to Caltrain, construction in the area has taken place since 2017, and the construction schedule is provided to all conductors. Trains are also supposed to have lookouts as an additional precaution. It is unclear what break down in the system occurred which allowed this to happen. The accident remains under investigation by the NTSB.
Tragically, there have been a number of recent accidents involving trains. There was an accident involving a train and an 18-wheeler in Grimes County, Texas on December 9, 2021. There was an accident involving a train and an 18-wheeler in College Station, Texas on December 13, 2021. There was a violent collision between a Union Pacific freight train and a car carrier in Greenwood, Louisiana on February 4, 2022.
Safe train operators must take adequate precautions to ensure that their conductors do not severely injure or kill members of the public in a train accident. Industry standards require train companies to provide adequate training to their conductors and engineers. Safe companies must also supervise their conductor to ensure that the company’s policies and procedures have been followed, as well as all applicable federal guidelines. Failing to properly train or audit a conductor the company allows to operate a train can have tragic consequences. Federal law requires companies to take numerous steps in order to protect the members of the public. According to early reports, there were procedures in place which should have prevented this accident from ever occurring. It is unclear at this time what broke down leading to this collision.
Spagnoletti Law Firm has attorneys licensed in Texas, Florida, and New York. We have previously handled multiple cases involving train accidents. Our attorneys have the experience and the skills needed to aggressively represent the families of loved ones who have lost their lives or been seriously injured in an accident involving a train or commercial vehicle. The experienced accident attorneys at Spagnoletti Law Firm can help you understand your rights if you or a loved one was involved in an accident involving a train. Please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or 877-678-5864 to learn more about your legal rights.