Train Accident Lawyers Serving Kent, WA

If you live in Kent, Washington, you are likely quite familiar with the rail systems that run in and between Tacoma and Seattle for commuters, including transit options to and from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. You may also know that the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Seattle are some of the biggest West Coast ports, which results in a significant amount of goods being transported on freight trains. Railroad injuries and train accidents can involve both freight trains and passenger trains, and these accidents often result in life-threatening and fatal injuries. Whether a train derails or collides with a passenger vehicle on the tracks, the results can be devastating.

If you or a loved one recently sustained injuries in a train accident in or around Kent, you should begin working with a Kent, WA train accident lawyer as soon as possible. The dedicated team of personal injury lawyers at Khan Injury Law PLLC can speak with you about your case today and can provide you with more information about your options for seeking financial compensation.

What Do I Need to Know About Kent, WA Train Accidents?

Train accidents do not need to happen, and most could be prevented with greater care. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for many issues pertaining to railroad safety and train accidents in Washington State, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). To give you a better idea of the rates of and reasons for train accidents, the following are some statistics from the FRA’s Office of Safety Analysis:

Total of 11,726 railroad accidents occurred in 2019, which represented a slight decline from 2018;
937 railroad accident fatalities were reported in 2019, which is an increase of more than 14 percent from the previous year in which 818 fatalities were reported;
More than 7,700 nonfatal rail injuries occurred in 2019, which represented a significant decrease from previous years;
Train accidents account for more than 15 percent of all rail accidents and incidents reported to the FRA;
109 train collisions occurred in 2019;
Nearly 1,300 derailments occurred in 2019;
Human factors were responsible for the highest percentage of train accidents, followed by track causes, then equipment causes, and then signal issues; and
Trespasser injuries and fatalities account for almost 10 percent of all reported railroad accidents and incidents.

Common Types of Train Accidents Affecting Kent, WA Residents

Train accidents and injuries result from many different errors and forms of negligence. The following are examples of types of train accidents that can lead to serious injuries:

Train derailment;
Train collision with another train;
Train collision with an automobile; and
Train collision involving a pedestrian.

Why do these accidents occur? The following are common reasons for train accidents in and around Kent, Washington:

Conductor negligence, including but not limited to train accidents caused by the conductor or operator’s recklessness, intoxication, drowsiness, or lack of training in operating the train;
Mechanical failure that may result from negligent maintenance or a defect;
Freight regulation violation, or a collision that results from a freight train being overloaded or improperly loaded;
Crossings that are not marked or that are improperly marked;
Failure to repair or maintain damaged railroad tracks; and/or
Failure to repair or maintain rail signals or lights.

Injuries in a Kent, WA Train Accident

Anyone who is injured in a train accident can be at risk of sustaining life-threatening or even fatal injuries. The following are examples of some of the types of injuries that may result in a successful Kent, WA train accident claim:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs);
Fractures or broken bones;
Internal bleeding;
Organ damage;
Amputations;
Spinal cord injuries (SCIs);
Neck and back injuries;
Muscle sprains and strains;
Severe contusions;
Facial injuries and deformities; and
Post-traumatic stress disorder.

How Much Time Do I Have to File a Kent, WA Train Accident Lawsuit?

If you want to file a Kent train accident lawsuit, the amount of time you have to file that claim will depend upon who got hurt. In other words, are you filing a claim seeking compensation for your own injuries, or are you filing a wrongful death lawsuit in order to seek compensation for the death of a loved one in a Kent train accident?

In a personal injury lawsuit—which you would file if you are the one who sustained injuries in the train accident—the statute of limitations is most likely a three-year statute of limitations. In practice, this means you have three years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit. Once that time window has closed, Washington State will bar your claim since the statute of limitations ran out. Although you might think three years is a significant amount of time, it goes by quickly. Further, the more time you wait, the more difficult it may be to gather the evidence necessary to win your case. Acting quickly will benefit you immensely.

If you need to seek compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit, then the statute of limitations is different. To be clear, if a loved one was killed in a train accident, then the surviving spouse, child, or another close family member may still have three years to file a claim, but the clock begins to tick on the date of the death (instead of the date of the train accident).

You should not attempt to handle a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit on your own when an experienced and aggressive Kent, WA train accident attorney can help.

Get In Touch With a Kent Train Accident Lawyer Today

Train accidents are almost always preventable. Yet despite the fact that many train collisions or derailments could be prevented, these serious accidents continue to occur and to result in serious and fatal injuries. If you recently sustained injuries or lost a loved one in a Washington State train accident, it is important to learn more about seeking financial compensation for your losses. An aggressive Kent, WA train accident attorney at Khan Injury Law PLLC can discuss your case with you today. We regularly assist clients in Washington State with a wide variety of personal injury claims, and we can begin working on your case once you get in touch with us. Contact Khan Injury Law PLLC today.