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7/30/2010
Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton
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DC Metro Cited for 'Lack of a Safety Culture' That Caused Fatal 2009 Train Crash

A year of investigations has confirmed that the failure of track sensors and automatic braking systems caused the June 2009 DC Metro crash in which nine people lost their lives and more than 70 crew members and passengers suffered serious injuries. In announcing their findings on July 27, 2010, federal investigators noted that the deadly collision between two Red Line trains in the Maryland (MD) suburbs of Washington, D.C., was just an accident waiting to happen.

The National Transportation Safety Board identified "a lack of a safety culture within" Metro's managing agency, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration, as the leading contributor to the light-rail accident. Some fault was also assigned to "ineffective safety oversight by the WMATA Board of Directors and the Tri-State Oversight Committee [as well as] the Federal Transit Administration's lack of statutory authority to provide federal safety oversight."

In short, as NTSB Chairwoman Deborah A.P. Hersman told reporters, "Metro was on a collision course long before this accident. ... Our report shows, this was not the first time Metro's safety system was compromised."

WMATA has pledged to upgrade its safety equipment and operating procedures. Despite such efforts, DC Metro has continued seeing fatal and near fatal incidents throughout its system of underground and aboveground rails since the summer of 2009. In the worst occurrence, two track workers died when a piece of machinery rolled over them inside a tunnel while they were performing maintenance.

I can only hope that WMATA takes the lessons from the NTSB investigation to heart and makes the changes to its equipment and procedures that are necessary to protect the lives and health of its employees and passengers. The situation in D.C. also has local relevance, as Norfolk's light-rail system, the Tide, is scheduled to begin operation next year. Commuters must be able to trust that they will be safe every time they take a ride on a subway car, bus or other form of public transportation.

EJL

Category: Mass Transit (Airline, Train, Bus)

Labels: accident collision commuter Cooper D.C. DC Metro deaths fatalities FELA injury lawyer light rail metro crash passengers rail railroad safety train train crash


About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Viriginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have experience handling cases for victims of mass transit accidents such as airplane, train and bus crashes. In fact, our law firm published a free consumer safety guide on what to do if you are hurt in a plane wreck.

We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia but we're ready to come to you anywhere in VA including Suffolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Norfolk, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008, and have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of lawyers receive.

Shapiro and Lewis have also been selected for inclusion in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, ours was the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our VA mass transit injury law firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultations. Call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can respond directly to you.

 

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