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Improperly secured stock cars can cause railroad accidents


Do you know that .2 horsepower per ton is all it takes to move a railcar? If you calculate that the average weight of an empty railcar is approximately 30 tons, you can figure that a mere six horsepower is all you need to move it. If you have been in the railroad business a long time, you may already be aware that many railroad accidents occur because of unsecured rolling stock.

Properly securing stock cars should be of highest priority to all rail facility managers. Whether you work on a freight or passenger train, if you’re traveling on a line adjacent to unsecured rolling stock cars, you are at great risk for injury. It doesn’t take much to cause an unsecured car to roll; in fact, a strong gust of wind can often do the trick. There is no guarantee that your train would be able to stop in time to avoid a potentially fatal collision.

Why airbrakes aren’t enough  

If you are familiar with the terms “blowout” or “roll-out,” you may know that such incidents are often catastrophic. If railway officials fulfill all their obligations to adhere to recommended safety regulations, including keeping rolling stock cars properly secured, chances of disaster greatly decrease. The following facts show why using only airbrakes is not enough to keep stock cars secure:

  • As stated earlier, it doesn’t take much to cause a stock car to roll, even on the slightest grade of incline.
  • The air in airbrakes can gradually leak out. Once it’s all gone, there is nothing to hold railcars in place, unless officials have taken additional safety measures.
  • Even a single empty car can cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of track and line damage, not to mention serious worker injuries, if a roll-out occurs and it collides with a moving train.

Suppose you suffer injury in a railroad accident involving a rolled-out stock car. Perhaps you later learn that a causal factor in the incident was that all the air in the airbrakes holding the car in place had leaked out. Such circumstances would definitely warrant an inquiry as to why no additional safety was employed to properly secure the railcar.

Recovering from your injuries

Surviving a railroad collision often leads to a long, arduous recovery. Your injuries hopefully will not prevent you from returning to the workplace at some point; however, it is often the case that such incidents result in partial or full permanent disabilities for injured workers. The more you know about the Federal Employers Liability Act, the less stressful it might be to navigate the benefit claims process.

  • $10.8 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Conductor wrongful death case. (Avery v. Metro-North RR).
  • $8 Million settlement for an Amtrak Trackman who sustained a crushed leg. (Cevasco v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.).
  • $7 Million settlement for a Metro-North Foreman whose legs were amputated. (Renert v. Metro-North RR).
  • $5.8 Million settlement for an Amtrak Conductor who sustained a head injury. (Fitzpatrick v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.).
  • $5.5 Million settlement for a Metro-North Machinist wrongful death case. (Pieger v. Metro-North RR).
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  • $2.57 Million Verdict for an Amtrak Conductor who sustained a back injury. (Pace v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.).
  • $2.5 Million Settlement for a Metro-North employee who sustained a serious head injury.
  • Settled for a Confidential Sum for a Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Trackman wrongful death case. (Macaulay v. Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company.)
  • $6.250 Million Verdict in 2023 which was later reduced to $2.1 Million for a Metro-North Structural Welder/Ironworker who sustained head and neck injuries and has returned to work. (Torres v. Metro-North RR).
  • $2 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Lineman who sustained an electrical burn (Curly v. Metro-North RR).
  • $2 Million Settlement in 2020 for a Providence & Worcester Railroad Company Conductor who sustained a serious head injury and returned to work for another RR as an Engineer. (Scarpa v. Providence & Worcester Railroad Company.)
  • $2 Million Settlement for a Metro-North Conductor who sustained a fractured leg.
    Settled for a Confidential Sum in 2019 an Amtrak Lineman involving an electrocution causing a permanent occupational disability. (Anderson v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.).
  • $1.85 Million Verdict for an Amtrak Ticket Agent who was assaulted. (Schneider v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.)
  • Compensatory and punitive damages Verdicts and subsequently settled for $1.8 Million in 2023 for a Metro-North
  • Conductor who suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Moran v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority).
  • $1.69 Million Settlement for an Amtrak Supervisor who was shot by an employee. (Cornelius v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.)
  • $1.65 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Lineman who sustained foot and ankle injuries. (Keating v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.65 Million Verdict for a Metro-North TA Employee who sustained an Open Tibia Fracture to his left leg. (Rivera v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.54 Million Verdict for an Amtrak General Foreman who sustained a herniated disc in his lower back. (Brady v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation).
  • $1.45 Million Verdict for a Construction Worker who sustained a left hip injury. (Quintiliani v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation).
  • $1.42 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Machinist who sustained a fractured rib and a herniated disc. (Hall v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.4 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Mechanical Gang Foreman who sustained burns from an explosion of steam on an engine. (Berry v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.4 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Carpenter Foreman who sustained a back injury. (Kendall v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.3 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Signal Trainee Maintainer who sustained a back injury from a slip and fall. (Moran v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.2 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Signal Maintainer who sustained a back injury and post-concussion syndrome. (Manes v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1.2 Million Verdict for a Metro-North Trackman who sustained crushed legs. (Murillo v. Metro-North RR).
  • $1 Million Settlement for a Metro-North Trackman who sustained burns from pot welding and subsequently returned to work. (Burke v. Metro-North RR).

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