Injury Victims of Train Accidents May Often Claim Compensation

A recent train derailment in South Jersey sent some 70 people to the hospital and caused the evacuation of more than 200 nearby homes. The reason? The train cars were filled with a dangerous chemical called vinyl chloride, a chemical that wafted through the air for at least several days.

The Nov. 30 train derailment near Paulsboro, N.J.,  sent four rail cars into the Mantua Creek when the train came off its tracks on a bridge. It took officials two weeks to get the cars out of the creek, which feeds the Delaware River that provides drinking water to some 15 million people.

While no one was killed in the Paulsboro train accident, the long-term effects of vinyl chloride are such that we may not know the full damage for years. The gas reportedly causes cancer and liver damage, according to the EPA.

Mike Schade with the Center for Health, Environment, & Justice cautions in an article  for the New Jersey Star-Ledger that the train chemical spill,  like others before it, could happen again. Chemical plants across the country work with toxic products and transport them via rail. Just a few months ago, a train carrying butadiene derailed near Louisville, KY, injuring five and forcing evacuations in the resulting explosion and fire.

“It’s an issue of worker and public safety, and national security,” Schade said. “How many more accidents do we need before we acknowledge the risks the storage and transport of these chemicals pose?”

Schade says it can be solved with tighter restrictions and safer practices, but the changes will have to come from the Environmental Protection Agency and the federal government.

This Paulsboro train accident injured 70 people. In many cases, people injured in train accidents can recover damages for injuries sustained. Anytime the safety the surrounding general public is put on the line, officials should take heed and do whatever possible to prevent another such train accident from happening.

If you are exposed to toxic fumes or have been injured in a train accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The train accident lawyers of Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys may be able to help. Contact our offices today to discuss the nature of your injuries and your legal options.