Train Accidents

Train accidents create the potential for unimaginable, catastrophic injury because of the sheer mass of the engines and cars, and the speed at which many commuter and commercial trains move. Understanding these dynamics and the unique operating protocols for trains demand the experienced, knowledgeable representation delivered by SMB’s trial attorneys.

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SMB has successfully represented train accident victims in cases arising from a wide range of circumstances, including:

  • Derailments
  • Car crashes
  • Pedestrian strikes
  • Train crashes and collisions

With an increasing number of railroad bridge collapses and trail derailments plaguing the Northeast Corridor due to aging, poorly maintained, and chronically underfunded infrastructure, SMB is well-positioned to assist the victims of these complex and lethal accidents.

Train accident cases demand a focus on–and understanding of–the various rules and regulations that require railroad operators to conduct their trains safely. When members of the public are injured because public transit authorities and freight railroads lack the training and concern for safety that the operating rules mandate, the trial lawyers at SMB have the knowledge, talent, and experience to ensure their clients receive the maximum recovery possible.

Robert J. Mongeluzzi

Unmatched Results

SMB has secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements in train accident cases for our clients, including:

  • $265 million settlement for the passengers and crew injured in the 2015 Amtrak derailment in Northeast Philadelphia—one of the largest rail settlements ever in the U.S.

Unmatched Experience

With years of experience litigating train accident claims, SMB is on the short-list of personal injury law firms using the latest methods to develop the evidence needed to maximize client compensation in these complex cases:

  • We exhaustively investigate what went wrong and who is responsible.
  • We engage nationally recognized train safety and operation experts to determine the extent of the train operators’ fault.
  • We retain leading medical specialists and damages experts to determine the extent of our clients’ injuries and their long-term prognosis.
  • We create innovative video brochures that powerfully depict in a “mini-documentary” format our clients’ pain and suffering and include excerpts from victim, family, witness, and expert interviews and defendant depositions. These vivid films are often a major factor in convincing jurors to award high-value verdicts and defendants to agree to big-dollar settlements.

Unmatched Compensation

Train accident cases often have complex issues resulting from the specialized and highly regulated nature of the passenger and freight railroad industries. With numerous potential defendants in most cases—including municipalities, governmental agencies, contractors, operators, and private companies—SMB has the experience and financial resources to explore all theories of liability to maximize your recovery. We work tenaciously to help our clients obtain all the compensation to which they are entitled, including damages for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, medical costs, lost income, and future earnings. Our record-setting settlement in the recent Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia proves the point. If you have been injured, or a friend or loved one has been injured or killed, because of an incident on or near a train or other railroad infrastructure, SMB is committed to obtaining all of the results you need and deserve.

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