Fairfax & Loudoun Personal Injury Lawyer - Mass Transit (Airline, Cruise Ship, Train, Bus)

Increased safety needed for DC Metro Subway, train and bus drivers

Doug Landau — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:48:00 GMT

After four metro drivers have been injured in train accidents since June, it appears that greater safety training is needed by DC Metro. Union officials have also called for more safety training for new and existing subway train operators. Having tried cases where the employer tries to rely on the injured workers' signatures on a safety book, DC workplace accident lawyer Doug Landau knows firsthand that there must be actual, "hands on" safety training, and that such safety training must continue throughout a train, bus or Metro driver's career. Personal injury lawyer Landau notes that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the spate of accidents on the DC Metrorail system. Because these "common carriers" are subject to special rules and responsibilities when passengers are injured, the ABRAMS LANDAU trial attorney calls upon the District of Columbia Government to step up its safety training and accident prevention procedures.

A subway, train, railroad, ferry, bus and shuttle service are all generally Common Carriers. They convey passengers without refusal if the approved fare or charge is paid. The second definition in the Blacks Law Dictionary goes on to state that a Common carrier is “One who holds himself out the public as engaged in business of transportation of persons or property from place to place for compensation, and who offers services to the general public.” If you or someone you know has been injured in a Metro train, bus or subway car crash, e-mail us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., or call 703-796-9555 today.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

DC Metro Train Deaths - "Common Carrier" held to a higher standard

Doug Landau — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:59:01 GMT

Most recent reports on the DC Metro crash that killed 9 include findings that the deceased driver of the train was likely NOT the cause of the accident. One cause may have been outdated equipment not replaced by the transit authority for lack of funding. In most personal injury negligence cases, the Defendant is supposed to use “reasonable care” to prevent causing harm to the innocent victim. However, when the company causing the injury is a “common carrier,” then they are held to an even higher “standard of care”. A subway, train, railroad and bus are all generally "Common Carriers". They convey passengers without refusal if the approved fare or charge is paid.

The second definition in the Blacks Law Dictionary goes on to state that a Common carrier is “One who holds himself out the public as engaged in business of transportation of persons or property from place to place for compensation, and who offers services to the general public.” Examples of common carriers are: trains, buses, subways, airplanes, Metrorail, airport terminal shuttles, VRE (Virginia Rail Express), Amtrak trains and trolleys. Money or tickets do not have to change hands in order for a bus or train to be considered a “common carrier.” For example, when transferring from the DC Metro train to the Bus service, the fare has already been paid when entering the subway station, and only a receipt is needed to board the bus at the end of the train ride.

When the dust settles on this catastrophic Metro train accident, injured riders and families mourning loved ones will look for answers and restitution. The strict legal standard of care for Common Carriers may afford the innocent victims just compensation for what has been taken from them.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

El choque del metro de mas mortalidades en la historia de Washington DC

Beatriz Vargas — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:21:28 GMT

El número de víctimas mortales que provenía del choque del tren del metro del seis-bagones en Washington, D.C. ha subido esta noche a cuatro, con múltiples lesionados. Por lo menos 6 personas fallecieron en el choque que ocurrió a la altura de la hora pico de esta noche. El choque ocurrió en la línea roja, la linea mas ocupada del sistema del metro de mas de 40 años de antiguedad. Los equipos de rescate cortaban los bagones del tren para evacuar a los pasajeros, según un informe de Wall Street Journal. Varios cientos de cuerpos de emergencia fueron despachados al lugar de la tragedia para ayudar a los pasajeros heridos que viajaban en el tren.

Mientras conducia a casa cuando regresaba del Despacho de Leyes Landau, oí en la radio sobre la trágica noticia de que un tren del metro de Washington, D.C. se habia descarrilado y aplastado a otro tren en las afueras de la ciudad, en la vecindad de la estación de metro Takoma Park. El jefe de bomberos city’s fire chief de la ciudad dijo que habían tratado a 70 personas con lesiones hasta ahora, así como a dos cuerpos de emergencia.

La Junta Nacional de Seguridad del Transporte (NTSB) es la agencia de investigación de terminal de componente en la escena. El alcalde de D.C. Adrian Fenty acentuó que es importante descubrir qué sucedió primero. Después de rescatar a las víctimas del terrible choque del metro, los funcionarios se proponen investigar este choque mortal y evaluar la seguridad del sistema del metro. Si usted tiene preguntas sobre sus derechos como resultado del choque del tren o de otro accidente de tránsito público, usted puede llamar nuestra oficina.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beatriz Vargas

The Deadliest accident in Metro history

Doug Landau — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:00:40 GMT

One onlooker described the scene as "a mangled roller coaster", equating the deadliest crash in the history of the DC transit system to a smashed amusement park ride. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, which operates the Metrorail (subway) and Metrobus services in the Nation's Capitol, reports a 6-car Red Line train derailed and collided with another train at about 5 p.m. EST. "The incident is under investigation but it appears that the trains were on the same track and the operator who was killed was on the trailing train," it said. The accident trapped passengers in one or more of the subway cars, and there were several fatalities reported.

Since the train system is considered a "Common Carrier," special rules apply when a passenger is injured or killed. In the case of WMATA v. O’Neill, the D.C. Court stated, “A common carrier is required to protect its passengers against assault or interference with the peaceful completion of their journey." The DC Court in the WMATA v. O’Neill case relied upon the Restatement (Second) of Torts § 314A(1)(a), which has been adopted or followed in many jurisdictions. The Restatement provides, “A common carrier is under a duty to its passengers to take reasonable action . . . to protect them against unreasonable risk of physical harm.” A bus or transit company, like WMATA, as a common carrier, owes a higher duty of care to members of the travelling public. When injuries occur on a subway, train or bus, there are special rules that apply to common carriers, and the rules and time limits for truck crash and car wreck cases may not apply. If you have specific questions regarding these laws, we at Abrams Landau Ltd. are eager to help. Read more about my thoughts on this horrific accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau