FOR_IMMEDIATE_RELEASE
Boston, MA — On Wednesday, March 26, 2008, an MBTA Commuter Train bound from Boston to Stoughton, Massachusetts was struck by a runaway freight car loaded with lumber. The freight car had broken loose from a rail siding, and run free for three miles, eventually colliding with a southbound commuter train with approximately 300 people on board. Over 150 people were injured by the force of the crash. The injured were rushed to local area hospitals in ambulances, and when officials ran out of ambulances, by MBTA buses. The exact cause of the runaway freight car is being investigated.
Boston train accident lawyer, a local transportation litigation attorney Michael C. Shepard, of The Shepard Law Firm in Boston, Massachusetts states that accidents like this one are entirely preventable, if the proper measures are taken. “The freight cars had been dropped off at a rail siding, which is a section of track off the main line that is designed to hold maintenance equipment, freight cars, and other rolling stock,” says Shepard. “When a freight car is left in a siding, it is supposed to have its brakes locked and chocks placed under its wheels in case the brakes fail. As an added measure, there is a device designed to derail the car in case both the brakes and chocks fail.” While the exact cause of the accident is under investigation, Shepard says that an accident of this sort is foreseeable when you have commuter trains running on the same lines as freight trains. “The MBTA has been running its trains on lines owned by CSX Corporation for years,” says Shepard. “When you combine freight and passenger service on busy train lines, you have to be extra vigilant or you are asking for trouble.”
In order to help people with questions about the Canton train crash, The Shepard Law Firm has set up a toll-free number for people to call. The number is 800-451-4471. There is no charge for the service. The Shepard Law Firm has expertise in transportation litigation, including accidents and defects involving trains, automobiles, trucks and airplanes. Attorney Michael Shepard obtained the 6th highest jury verdict in Massachusetts in 2007, $6.4 million dollars, in a case involving an ambulance roll-over. Shepard Law firm is a specialist in accident litigation and is set to try a major case involving aircraft defects in May of this year.
Shepard Law Firm:: 800-451-4471 For Boston Train Accident Help Line
