Railroad Accidents

Experienced Attorneys Who Protect Your Interests

Railroad companies have vast legal teams to fight your claim, and victims of catastrophic railroad accidents are entitled to be “made whole.” You deserve to have a knowledgeable and aggressive legal team who will protect your interests and defend against attempts to minimize or deny your claim. We're here to help, call us at 1-888-989-1860.

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Active Railroad Signs

Active warning devices are located at highway-rail grade crossings and are activated automatically upon the approach of a train.

Level Crossing

Level crossing collisions between trains and vehicles are a major safety risk. Individual rail and road agencies are responsible for continuously maintaining level crossing safety on their rail crossings.

Highway-Railroad Grade Crossing

Highway-rail grade crossing collisions and pedestrian trespass on tracks account for over 95% of all railroad fatalities.

Passive Railroad Signs

Two-thirds of all railroad crossings are protected by nothing more than passive railroad signs. Most fatal railway crossing accidents take place at unprotected railroad crossings.

Private Crossings

There are few regulations regarding traffic safety control devices at private rail crossings such as at a farm or industrial complex. Liability can be affected by several factors.

Public Crossings

Collisions between highway vehicles and trains have been, until recently, the greatest source of injuries and fatalities in the railroad industry. Our experienced train accident attorneys are here to help.

Railroad Accidents and Train Accident Lawyers

Victims of railroad accidents often suffer traumatizing, life-altering injuries that require costly medical attention and treatment as well as extensive time recovering. Train crossing injuries, train-passenger vehicle accidents and train derailments commonly lead to severe injury and even death. 

If you were hurt in a railroad accident, time is of the essence. Federal and state laws surrounding railroad safety are complex, and multiple agencies regulate railroad operations and investigate railroad accidents.  Due to the complexity of reporting, there may be several reports for the same incident.

Trammell Piazza’s experienced trial attorneys have extensive knowledge regarding the consequences of train accidents. We will conduct an immediate investigation to preserve evidence and determine if there were any acts of negligence by train operators, railroad companies, or municipal railroad property owners that contributed to the train crash or derailment. 

A railroad accident attorney can help you recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages by determining liability after the accident.

Trammell Piazza works on a contingency basis, so there is no financial commitment until we have achieved a settlement on your behalf.

Get a Free Case Evaluation For Railroad Accidents

An experienced train accident attorney could help you recover compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Contact our experienced legal team to request a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to review your legal options to pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.

At Trammell Piazza, cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay us until your settlement is won.

You can also call us at 1-888-989-1890.

Aggressive Representation & Outstanding Results for Railroad Accidents

Our experienced trial lawyers consistently deliver impressive judgments and significant financial settlements for our clients. Our mission is to secure the compensation you deserve to regain your quality of life and resolve business disputes so you can operate successfully.

$2M

– Verdict

Managing Partner Chad Trammell successfully fought for compensation in a wrongful death case with attorney Anthony Bruster, achieving a $2 million award of compensatory damages for the victim’s family.

$2.28M

– Verdict

Managing Partner Chad Trammell led a team of Super Lawyers, Dan Sorey and Jamie Pratt in this negligence case that awarded the victim $1.4 million in compensatory and $875,000 in punitive damages.

$4.75M

– Verdict

Managing Partner Chad Trammell led an outstanding group of attorneys at trial, Drake Martin, Tony Seaton, Brian Brooks and Ric May. The team proved chronic short-staffing at a nursing home resulted in neglect. A $4,275,000 verdict was upheld unanimously by the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

$3M

– Verdict

Trammell Piazza successfully fought a civil litigation case awarding $1.5 million compensatory and $1.5 million punitive damages for the victim of neglect.

The recoveries, verdicts, favorable outcomes, and testimonials described on this site are not an indication or guarantee of future results. Every case is different, and each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the damages, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors.

Causes of Railroad Accidents

Railroad accidents involving highway-railroad grade crossings, train-passenger vehicle accidents, public and private rail crossings and train derailments commonly result in severe injuries and even death.

Failure of Crossings

Crossing gate and light signal malfunctions are common rail crossing failures. Ten percent or 815 railroad incidents occurred at rail crossings in 2019, according to the Federal Rail Administration.

Failure to Apply Brakes

A substantial number of train accidents caused by train operator error are caused by a failure to apply brakes or properly decelerate the train. Other train accident causes include brake system failures and emergency brake malfunction.

Train Operator Error or Fatigue

In railway operation, several safety-critical tasks are assigned to the operators and are not controlled by signalling and interlocking systems. Rail accidents caused by train operator error or fatigue account for a significant portion of all railroad accidents.

Defective Cross-Ties

Railroad track safety compliance errors can lead to deteriorated or defective cross-ties including defective joint bolts, disturbed ballasts, surface deviations and other track maintenance issues.

Poorly-Lined Switches

Improperly lined run-through switches in rail yard operations, worn or broken switch points, and improper speed can contribute to rail switch accidents and train derailment.

Speeding

Excessive coupling speed, failure to comply with switch speed and train derailments due to high speeds can result in severe railway accidents.

Our Attorneys

The Trammell Piazza team is comprised of caring individuals who are champions for your rights and fair compensation. We are seasoned trial lawyers with extensive courtroom experience handling legal matters in federal and state trial and appellate courts; in arbitrations, mediations, and other alternative dispute resolution forums.

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M. Chad Trammell

Partner

M. Chad Trammell

Chad Trammell has practiced law for the past 28 years and concentrates his practice on complex litigation. Having tried his first case as a Prosecutor in an Air Force Courtroom in 1992, Chad is a courtroom lawyer with extensive trial experience and a record of multi-million dollar verdicts and recoveries. 

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Melody H. Piazza

Partner

Melody H. Piazza

"I realized I might not be able to return client's lives to normal, but I can help them find some amount of Justice in the face of great loss. It’s very easy to be passionate about your work, when you are working to make someone whole again.”

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Virginia Trammell

Partner

Virginia Trammell

Virginia Trammell oversees the law firm's operations and team of clerks, researchers, and subject matter experts. She upholds the highest standards of compassionate, client-focused service and excellence that has helped the firm earn a reputation for expert representation and outstanding results for clients. 

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Types of Trains Involved in Railroad Accidents

Our attorneys handle a variety of train accident cases involving commuter and freight trains, switching and terminal trains and inter-city trains.

Freight Trains

A freight train or cargo train hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway transporting cargo or materials as part of the supply chain.

Commuter Regional Train

Commuter regional rails are passenger rail systems including regional and commuter rail, metro systems, light rail, streetcars and trams.

Switching & Terminal Trains

Switching and terminal trains perform local switching services in a rail yard or terminal facility.

Intercity Trains

Long-distance express passenger trains that cover longer distances than commuter trains. Amtrak is the sole intercity passenger rail service in the United States.

News

All News

An Accident with an Uninsured Driver can be Challenging

It’s an unfortunate reality that being involved in an accident often prompts concerns about automobile insurance. Despite laws across states mandating drivers to have liability insurance, some individuals might find themselves without this crucial coverage. What happens when another party at fault in an accident lacks insurance to cover damages or injuries caused to you? […]

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What Evidence Do I Need to Collect if I’m in a Trucking Accident?

I want to address a question that often haunts those who’ve endured the harrowing experience of a trucking accident: What evidence should you be gathering in the aftermath of such a catastrophic event? People sometimes wonder, after a horrible, catastrophic accident involving a big rig, what evidence they need to be collecting. My answer to […]

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Firm Partners Attend IATL Continuing Education Program in the Swiss Alps

Chad and Virginia Trammell, together with Melody and Judge Christopher Piazza, traveled to Switzerland to attend the esteemed International Association of Trial Lawyers (IATL) Annual Meeting on August 22, 2023. Their experience was remarkable, centered around an exclusive private visit and presentation at the Switzerland Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne. The day’s highlight was a […]

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