Personal Injury Lawyers > Personal Injury Blog > Train Accidents > Report Shows 218 Fatalities in Metrolink Train Accidents in Past 15 Years

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Report Shows 218 Fatalities in Metrolink Train Accidents in Past 15 Years

A report published in the Los Angeles Times shows that 218 people were killed in accidents involving Metrolink trains in the 15 years before last year’s deadly crash that killed 25 people.

Metrolink train accident lawyers have for long been calling for an overhaul of safety procedures and systems at Southern California’s commuter rail system in the light of the 2008 tragedy. On September 12th last year, a Metrolink train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train, after its engineer ran a red light. Besides the 25 fatalities, more than 100 people were injured in the accident. The months since the accident have seen calls for a major overhaul of several Metrolink systems that contributed to the accident. For instance, the agency’s practice of outsourcing its hiring, supervision and training of employees to external companies came under scrutiny. The agency agreed to change that practice, but since then as has since been discussed on this California train accident lawyer blog, the agency seems to have returned to that earlier practice.

Now, an investigation of Metrolink accident records by the Los Angeles Times reveals that 218 people were killed in accidents involving Metrolink trains in the 15 years leading up to September 12th 2008. Most of these fatalities, according to the Los Angeles Times, occurred in accidents involving Metrolink trains and automobiles or pedestrians at street crossings.  The most dangerous crossings in terms of both fatalities and serious injuries, have been a pair of crossings in the San Fernando Valley.

Besides, the Los Angeles Times says that the official Metrolink accident database is riddled with inconsistencies and, in many cases, is incomplete. The agency’s accident and death database seems to make its operations in Los Angeles less deadly than they actually are. The Los Angeles Times used official data, and added input from their sources, and this helped fill in many omissions and reveal inaccurate data.

Under Federal Railroad Administration rules, train operators are required to file reports for accidents occurring at grade crossings, accidents resulting in loss of death except in cases of suicides, and accidents that damage railroad equipment. Only an approximate 4 out of every 10 fatal Metrolink accidents have been reported to the Federal Railroad Administration. Further, 117 pedestrian deaths involving Metrolink trains and 6 passenger vehicle occupant deaths, do not feature in the FRA’s records, which are posted on its website. Metrolink sometimes reported some deaths which were suicides to the FRA, but several accidental deaths went unreported. Electronic files of the rail system are full of errors, and several hundreds of rail crossings are marked at points that do not actually exist near any railroad tracks. In fact, so full of errors are these records that several rail crossings are showed marked in the Pacific Ocean!

Just one year after last year’s tragedy, it doesn’t seem like Metrolink has taken major steps to correct its state of affairs, and this is of grave concern to California train accident lawyers.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of train accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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