An accident involving a train and car occurs every three hours in the U.S.
Motor vehicle accidents that occur at railroad crossings are often fatal. Operation Lifesaver is an organization dedicated to reducing the number of injuries and fatalities that are a result of accidents occurring at railroad crossings. According to their statistics, an accident involving a train and car occurs every three hours in the U.S. The most efficient and commonly used method of cargo transportation within the country is by train, and according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, this trend will continue to grow in the coming years. One of the most challenging issues to resolve when a railway crossing collision occurs is to decide who or what is responsible for it and the legal liabilities of the parties involved.
"Of all the lawyers I have met, this one is a true professional. This attorney goes against the biggest law firms and wins!"
Response from the owner:The compliment is much appreciated. Like every profession, it all starts with training our lawyers to be the best at every aspect of car accident cases. But the foundation of a great case is a great client. Thanks!
I'd say this lawyer is in the top three of the best you'll ever see. Add this attorney to the interview list if you ever get in an automobile accident. This Law Firm is on another level.
Response from the owner:Much appreciated. Techniques that an attorney or any professional uses are paramount for success. This is part of our lawyers training and preparation. It leads to success. Thank you!
People say this is the best car accident lawyer in St.Louis. Yep! Seeing this attorney in action is incredible.
Response from the owner:Great compliment. We work hard to be the best. Our lawyers also work very hard to help other lawyers in our profession. Not matter what, a cases is only as good as the client is. Thanks!
Response from the owner:Thanks! Referrals and recommendations from prior car accident clients is our #1 source of cases. People who grew to trust us send family and friends.
The Hoffman law firm is truly professional. After hiring them I was truly relieved and knew I was in good hands. Highly recommend!
Response from the owner:Being in good hands is important. Many lawyers take cases with little experience and little resources. Our firm specialized decades ago. We are focused exclusively on accident cases.
The lawyers on tv just dont compare for auto accident injury cases. Mr.Hoffmann is as good as they get.
Response from the owner:Thank you. The TV attorneys are just settlement mills. People are hiring a paralegal, not a lawyer. Our law firm is different. You are represented by an attorney and we do not have settlement quotas.
I would describe this lawyer as highly educated, sharp, and top of his game. Explains the car accident process and treatment options well. The lawyer said if they don’t pay you, we will have the jury take it from the insurance company. Great lawyer. Dynamic person.
Interviewed all the TV car accident lawyers and decided to call this law firm that had great reviews. So happy I did. What a difference!
Response from the owner:TV car accident lawyers are just mass production. This is not a good fit for litigated cases. Paralegals instead of lawyers. Monthly quotas for settlements. Car accident victims end up in a cattle call with the lawyers on TV.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
Response from the owner:Our lawyers train and track the best approaches on cases. Whether litigation in cases or the practicalities of certain treatment, the growth of our lawyers over time is paramount. Always staying ahead of and setting practice trends. Thank you.
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
Response from the owner:This is a sad reality for car accident lawyers. The #1 passenger in an auto accident is a relative. Helping a family make it through this and putting the family back together is one of the most rewarding things I do as an automobile accident attorney.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
Response from the owner:Thank you. When accident are severe and you lose the ability to work or to continue a business, having an accounting and tax background is key. Valuing large losses are second nature for us.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
Response from the owner:Our attorney have deposed nearly all the trauma surgeons at every Level 1 Trauma Center in Saint Louis. These doctors save lives after a car accident. Whether controlling bleeding or reestablishing blood flow or bone structures, they are life savers.
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner:Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner:Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
Major car accident injury in St Louis area for a family member. Four different lawyers we know said the same thing - call Chris Hoffmann. On another level.
Response from the owner:This is such a great compliment. Most of our cases come from prior client or lawyers that also do car accidents cases but the particular case is too large or too difficult. Being a lawyer and an accountant, we specialize in cases with total lost of income, earning capacity and/or often the inability to continue a family business. Evaluations such as these are second nature for our lawyers. Thanks.
This attorney is very smart, very experienced, returns phone calls and knows the answers when asked. One call and I knew this was a great law firm for auto accidents.
Response from the owner:Our law firm appreciates this. This is a comment we get from so many people who call…”none of the lawyers we called told me all the things that you did.” Whether we take a car accident case or not, helping people is a good thing.
5 Star Lawyer for sure! Best you will find in Saint Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the 5 Star Rating. Reviews like this are great. Injury victims quickly figure out the TV advertisers are not good. We work hard at being the best we can be and it reflects in our representation of car accident victims.
Watch this lawyer in action. Was way better than all the others. Get this lawyer for an automobile accident for sure.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the recommendation. Besides doing cases, our attorneys train for this. Hard work, case knowledge and technique is key to success in car accident litigation.
Very pleased with The Hoffmann Law Firm. Lawyers are attentive, friendly and go the distance to force the settlement you want. The TV lawyers recommend low offers. This law firm gets the maximum.
Response from the owner:We get calls from car accident victims that had to fire the TV lawyers that they hired. They give the same two reasons: 1) they never spoke to a lawyer at the Big TV law firms, only a paralegal, and 2) the paralegal recommended they accept a low offer.
At our law firm, you only talk to the lawyer and if an offer is low we tell you to sue. Thanks!
Several lawyers said to call this lawyer because he is the best. You will appreciate this law firm. Helped with the injury and property claims. Attentive and knowledgeable. Great reputation in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Lexi. Our #1 source of cases is other lawyers referring us cases that are too big for them to handle.
Would use this accident law firm. Best in Saint Louis. Highly rated and it shows. After one phone call, you just know this attorney is better. 5 Stars!!
Response from the owner:Thanks for recommending our lawyers in St Louis. There is a major difference in lawyers as you well know.
Car accident lawyers on tv are not good . Get this attorney ! He is a pro !!
Response from the owner:Thanks Nathan. TV lawyers market for car accidents, use paralegals instead of lawyers and give their employees settlement quotas hence forcing cheap settlements. At our law firm, you get a lawyer who keeps pushing forward for more.
Quality lawyer. Best law firm for a car accident. Advice was way better than other lawyers I called in St. Louis. Helped with property and injury.
Response from the owner:Thanks. The TV lawyer advertisers are just car accident settlement mills. As soon as people call a real attorney, they always tell us how much better and more helpful we were. Appreciate this.
This lawyer is big time. Smooth. The other lawyers on the other side were not nearly as good as this attorney. I recommend friends in St Louis to him for accident injuries and they all say the same thing…”that lawyer is great.”
Response from the owner:Very nice of you to say. Our lawyers work hard on auto accident cases.
Family used this car accident attorney after a crash. Located in St Louis. This lawyer answers the phone and will walk you through the process. Knows his stuff!
Response from the owner:Taking calls, going over the car accident injury and property process is important. Clients that call always say we are the only lawyers that explained everything. Much appreciated.
Tried the lawyers on TV. They were not good. Hired this car accident lawyer instead because he had great reviews. The reviews are correct. This attorney is as good as they get. He does big injury cases that need to be litigated.
Response from the owner:Car accident lawyers on TV do not litigate cases. It is mass production. They have quotas. Local attorneys are best on auto accidents.
Used this attorney for an auto accident. Highly recommend this lawyer in St. Louis. Communicates well.
Response from the owner:Communicating with clients is essential. Taking the client though the car accident claims process is important otherwise major mistakes can occur. It is an effort that we make. Thanks!
Fantastic law firm, I would recommend! Received free consultation related to an auto accident when my parked car was damaged by a baseball. Very supportive advice, these guys are good!
With the number of train tracks running through Missouri, it can be expected that some of these accidents will take place in our state. It has been found that most railroad crossing accidents could have been avoided if proper measures had been taken by the train company. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a railroad crossing accident, speak with a Missouri personal injury attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.
Dangerous Railroad Crossings
More than half of public crossings are not protected by safety lights and gates and over half of all train accidents occur at these spots. If a dangerous, unlit intersection was the scene of your accident, filing a lawsuit with the help of a Missouri personal injury attorney may not only help you receive compensation, it could help compel the railroad company to consider making the intersection safer for others.
Besides a lack of crossing lights and gates, accidents can also occur if the crossing has become obstructed with overgrown vegetation. It is the railroad’s responsibility to keep their intersections clear. It is also their duty to make sure that the field of view is not obstructed, both for someone at the intersection and the driver of the train.
Railroad Company That Operates the Train
Railroad companies that operate trains have a duty and responsibility to ensure the safe movement of their trains. Not abiding by those duties and responsibilities may lead to a train-car accident. The duties of the railroad company include:
Providing necessary training for the train operators, engineers, and conductors.
Making sure the train operator does not suffer from fatigue and are not working under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Ensuring that train personnel is using the necessary train sounds to signal that a train is approaching a crossing.
Keeping the train speed within the limit, depending on the track segment.
Providing proper locomotive and other railing equipment maintenance.
Railroad Company That Owns the Track
Railway lines are owned by different railroad companies, meaning trains do not always move on tracks owned by the parent company. Furthermore, ownership of the rails by a railway company does not only apply to the tracks, but also to a certain width of land around the tracks. In regards to railroad crossings, every company that owns that piece of the railway line has a set of duties, including:
Installing lights and gates at the crossings and regular maintenance of the track.
Making sure that approaching vehicles can see the signals clearly, for example, clearing any objects that may obstruct a driver’s line of sight.
Regular track maintenance.
Manufacturer Liability
Accidents may happen as a result of malfunctions of the components of the locomotive or the individual cars. The train manufacturer has a set of duties and responsibilities of their own. The trains and cars must have:
Warning horns, bells, and whistles.
Warning lights and flashing headlights.
Brake systems on both locomotives and cars.
An appropriate mechanism that connects the cars together.
Communication systems for every member of the crew.
Local Municipalities
Sometimes the cause of vehicle-train collisions may be caused by the poor condition of a road. The municipality may be legally liable for the consequences of the collision.
Vehicle Driver
The driver of the vehicle involved in a train collision may be the one at fault. A driver may try to pass over the railway crossing, thinking they have enough time to pass safely. If a driver does not respect the signals, he or she may be legally liable for any injuries resulting from a collision.
St. Louis, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Trying to claim compensation from major companies like those of railroad operations requires a skilled Missouri personal injury attorney. With the amount of money they have to back them, it is not unusual to find them attempting to stall proceedings in a veiled attempt to get you to drop the suit or settle for less. An attorney is aware of these tactics and will not let them deter your case.
A Missouri driver was able to settle with a railroad company whose initial defense was to blame the victim for the railroad intersection accident. When the plaintiff was able to prove that the driver of the train was negligent in failing to use the lights and horn when approaching the intersection. Once it was shown that several accidents had occurred at that particular spot, the defense abandoned the strategy and agreed to the settlement. Specialized legal knowledge is necessary when dealing with the complexities of a lawsuit with a major railroad.
If you have been involved in a train-car collision, speak with a St. Louis car accident lawyer from The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We will help you determine who is liable and if you should receive compensation for damages. Call us at (314) 361-4242 for a free consultation.
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Free Consultation with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t talk to an insurance claims adjuster before speaking with The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can help you avoid making statements that may affect the outcome of your case. The consultation is free; you don’t pay unless we get you money!
