I was recently approached by the local news for an interview about the city of Austin’s new light rail system that just recently opened. In the interview, http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Cap-Metro-to-riders-Stay-off-tracks-88468802.html , I talked about the potential problems cities have faced with light rail systems. While pedestrians and commuters learn to share the roads with these new era trains, accidents will likely follow. Most accidents stem from awareness and in my interview I talked about the problems Houston faced during the first years of their light rail system. Hopefully Austin can learn a lesson from Houston and we can keep our accident numbers relatively low.

There were 530 deaths along U.S. rail lines in 2006, with 51 of those occurring in Texas. Those 51 deaths combined with 69 pedestrians being injured by rails in the state ranks Texas second in the number of pedestrians killed along railways. These accidents result from negligence on behalf of rail operators and pedestrians. The following are different scenarios that seem to have caused problems with the light rail system:

- When pedestrians don’t pay attention when getting on or off trains
- Erratic doors, slippery platforms/walkways
- When a train operator pulls away from the stop too quickly
- Motorists not paying attention to trains and colliding with them at shared intersections
- Defective safeguards and confusing warning signs at intersections

Negligence, like that above, can result in serious injuries ranging from brain damage, paralysis, broken bones, and death. Over the past decade there have been over 200 children in the U.S. killed from being left unattended around train tracks. Although many accidents are the result of pedestrians not being aware of their surroundings, most accidents are caused by the transit authority. The deadlines for light rail accidents are very short because they involve the government and if there is an accident a formal notice of claim must be provided to the government agency against which the claim is made. Due to this, it is a good idea to contact an attorney quickly to protect your rights.