New Light Rail Could Mean More Accidents for Norfolk Drivers

Rick is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

7/25/2011
Richard N. Shapiro
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New Light Rail Could Mean More Accidents for Norfolk Drivers

The new light rail system in Norfolk will launch on August 19, 2011, and begin full operations the following Monday. Downtown drivers who already share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists will now have to contend with Tide trains, and experts believe this will inevitably lead to accidents. Nationally, an average of 14 people lose their lives each year in accidents involving light-rail trains and tracks, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Another 300 people suffer injuries. Shockingly, more than 90 percent of these accidents were caused by "public behavior."

So far, there haven't been any major accidents with Tide trains as operators have conducted test runs. And Hampton Roads Trains officials are making every effort to train their operators to handle worst-case scenarios. They're also taking notes on where pedestrians most commonly cross tracks and where cars are most likely to run red lights, putting drivers and passengers in the paths of approaching light-rail trains. It's not just traffic emergencies they're training for; operators are being drilled on derailments, bombs, hostage situations and fires.

Most commonly, accidents involving light-rail trains occur when drivers turn left onto train tracks. With about a dozen left turns on Norfolk's tracks, HRT is doing everything to prevent accidents. Signs will light up to indicate that left turns are prohibited when a train is approaching.

There's no question that sharing the road with the new light rail will take some getting used to, but by following safety precautions, we can prevent major accidents from occurring. Check out the list of safety tips HRT has listed on its website: Ride the Tide Safety Tips

Earlier this year, I was interviewed by WVEC news about HRT's need for an automatic braking system. As a Virginia personal injury attorney, I have experience handling cases involving mass transit injuries. My colleagues, too, are experts on handling your mass transit injury cases. Take a look at the blog my colleague John C. authored last year detailing more safety tips.

CD

Category: Mass Transit (Airline, Train, Bus)

Labels: car accident Cooper HRT injury light rail mass transit Norfolk personal injury Shapiro sharing the road Tide VA Virginia

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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New Light Rail Could Mean More Accidents for Norfolk Drivers

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