The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Yesterday this space blogged about a rear-end collision between two Washington D.C. trains. It occurred during the Monday night rush hour. The death toll was initially seven but now it is nine, as two passengers have died in hospital.

Debris from this crash has been removed today. The front car of the rear train was badly damaged, with about 50 of its 75 feet crushed. The driver of that train was one of the fatalities.

Investigators Find "Anomalies"

Today, transportation investigators reported finding an "anomaly" in a track control circuit. Each track section has such a circuit that receives signals and transmits them. This generates speed commands for trains on those tracks. The investigators found no problems on five of the six sections in the area of Monday’s crash, but they found “anomalies” on the sixth one. At this point, nobody is explaining what those anomalies are.

One big question is why the computerized emergency system was not activated when the rear train got too close to the front train. The system is designed to keep a certain distance between trains, to give them speed data, and to control speeds.

More Funds Needed to Replace Old Cars

Further tests were planned for today, to gather more information on what caused this fatal train accident. The House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer is planning to seek $3 billion for improvements in the Metro transit system. "Millions and millions of tourists from throughout this nation ride on this system,” he said, “as well as tens of thousands of the employees who work for this country."

The train cars involved were bought between 1974 and 1978, making them some of the oldest cars owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. They are the Series 1000 cars and there are 300 of them, making up a quarter of the total number of cars. However, they cannot all be replaced at one time, as they cost $3 million each.

If you or a loved one were among the 76 people injured in this train accident, please contact our office and we will be glad to give you a free consultation. The Cochran Firm has a nationwide presence and our Washington D.C. office can connect you to an office near you.

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