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Archive for April, 2008

Massachusetts Lawmakers Refuse to Shield CSX from Liability

Friday, April 4th, 2008

Unlike Florida lawmakers, Massachusetts lawmakers are refusing to shield CSX, a railroad company, from liability in the event of a passenger train wreck. Florida lawmakers agreed to the liability terms set by CSX in a $491 million deal.

Both states are in the process of negotiations with CSX Transportation to buy tracks for government run commuter rails. Florida’s proposed rail system would cover about 61 miles in Orlando. In exchange, CSX would transport freight during slow commuter times.

CSX wants both Florida and Massachusetts to accept “no-fault” liability provisions, which means that the states would take responsibility for any passenger train wreck that occurs on CSX tracks, even if the wreck is caused by negligence on the part of CSX.

The Massachusetts Lt. Governor Timothy Murray called the provision unreasonable.

Since Florida accepted the terms, Florida taxpayers are now responsible for paying for any injuries to passengers or damages to the trains in the event of a train wreck.

The “no-fault” provision is part of a larger deal in Florida, where the state would buy $491 million worth of tracks that would extend CSX freight operations into Polk County.

Currently, train wreck attorneys are working on cases that involve the serious or fatal injures incurred during a train wreck caused by the negligence of another.

Elderly Drivers Raise Accident Risk

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

According to a study by AAA, there are over 29 million licensed drivers over the age of 65 in the United States. The study sites many conditions that affect elderly drivers, including arthritis, limited upper body movement and impaired vision.

Because of the different situations and limitations of elderly drivers, it is recommended that elderly drivers consider specific features of a vehicle before purchasing, such as crashworthiness, anti-lock brakes and adjustable head restraints.

The increasing number of independent drivers over the age of 65 is a great concern according to a Texas based study by the International Risk Management Institute. This study states that, with the exception of teenagers, elderly drivers experience the highest rate of car crash deaths per mile driven. The study shows that elderly drivers, particularly over the age of 80, pose higher risks to pedestrians and others on the road.

In a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 200,000 drivers over the age of 65 were involved in accidents in 2006.

There are car wreck attorneys currently working on cases in which serious or fatal injury has occurred due to the negligence of drivers.