When you’ve been injured in a train accident in Augusta, Georgia, it’s important to take the time to explore your legal rights. As a victim, you may have the ability to take legal action against the train service, train operators, or other liable parties. The experienced Augusta train accident lawyers at Hawk Law Group can offer the guidance, support, and advocacy you need to maximize your recovery. Contact us at (706) 722-3500 to learn more.
We’re award-winning Georgia trial lawyers with over 71 years of experience handling complex legal disputes. As passionate advocates for our clients, we’ve successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars in settlement agreements and jury awards.
Now, we’re prepared to fight to get you top results, too. Contact our Augusta law office to learn more and schedule a time for your free consultation today.
How Hawk Law Group Can Help After a Train Accident in Augusta, GA
Whether you’re a passenger on board the train, a bystander, or driving another vehicle, the consequences of a train accident can change the course of your life as you know it. You deserve to be compensated, especially if the train operator or train company could have prevented the accident.
That’s where our Augusta personal injury lawyers can help.
At Hawk Law Group, we’re known for our passionate and effective legal representation. We aren’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with the most powerful corporations in Georgia in pursuit of the compensation our clients need to move forward with their lives.
We’re prepared to handle all aspects of your train accident lawsuit:
- Conduct a prompt and thorough independent investigation of your train accident
- Review results and findings of government-led investigations into the derailment
- Gather evidence during discovery, including photographs of the scene of the accident, medical records, accident reports, maintenance records, eyewitness statements, video footage, and more
- Hire railroad accident experts, medical professionals, forensics specialists, and other experts to weigh in as we build your case
- Calculate what your train accident case is likely worth
- Pursue a maximum settlement during negotiations with the train service and its insurance company
- Take the defense to trial if they refuse to make you a reasonable settlement offer
Don’t worry about what it might cost to hire our train accident attorneys in Augusta, GA. We represent clients on contingency. There’s no fee unless we win compensation for your train injury case.
Call our Augusta law office today to learn more. Your first consultation with our trusted legal team is always free.
Georgia Train Accident Statistics
According to Federal Railroad Administration Statistics, Georgia ranks third in the nation for train accidents. In 2023, 135 train accidents were reported in Georgia, accounting for 6 percent of the nation’s total. Only California and Texas registered more derailments and collisions that year.
That’s roughly one train accident in Georgia every 2.7 days.
In total, 37 people were injured and 6 were killed because of these Georgia train accidents.
What Can Cause a Train Accident?
While several factors can ultimately contribute to a train accident, some of the most commonly cited causes include:
- Operator inattention
- Mechanical failure
- Speeding
- Track obstructions
- Signal errors
- Poorly maintained crossings
- Missing crossties on the tracks
- Broken tracks
- Faulty switch points
- Derailments
- Unprotected railroad crossings
- Stalled cars on the tracks
- Trespassers
Our Augusta train accident attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation into your case to understand how and why the accident happened. Once we’ve determined the cause, we’ll be able to pinpoint liability and begin to seek compensation from those responsible for your life-changing accident.
Common Train Accident Injuries in Augusta
What type of train accident were you involved in? Were you a passenger on the train? How fast was the train moving at the time of the accident? What caused the train accident?
All of these things will influence the types of injuries you’re most likley to suffer in an Augusta train accident.
Some of the most commonly reported injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Crushing injury
- Burn injury
- Concussion injury
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Whiplash injury
- Neck injury
- Back injury
- Paralysis injury
- Amputation injury
- Eye injury
- Catastrophic injury
- Soft tissue injury
- Wrongful death
Seek prompt medical treatment as soon as possible after you’re involved in a train accident, even if you don’t think you’ve been badly injured. Sometimes, the rush of adrenaline we experience in a violent accident can make it difficult to identify or feel an injury.
Getting to the closest emergency room to you in Augusta after your train accident will help to ensure that your injuries are fully diagnosed, treated, and documented.
What Damages Are Available to Train Accident Victims in Augusta?
When you get hurt in an Augusta train accident, you’ll have the opportunity to seek compensation through a legal claim for damages.
Georgia law allows you to request two types of monetary awards: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are paid to help you deal with any costs and projected monetary losses associated with your train accident, which can include:
- Current medical bills for hospitalization, medical devices, medication, surgery, and more
- Future medical expenses related to follow-up treatment, prosthetics, and rehabilitation
- Temporary and/or permanent disability
- Lost wages and earnings
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Nursing assistance
- Funeral expenses if a train accident is fatal
Non-economic damages are awarded to help you cope with difficult-to-value changes and trauma you experience as a train accident victim, including:
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Chronic physical pain
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Embarrassment
Sometimes train accidents happen because of criminal acts, intentional acts of violence, or conduct that clearly disregards a person’s safety. In these situations, punitive damages can potentially be awarded if a train accident lawsuit makes to to a jury.
The train company will fight your personal injury case at every turn. Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys will try to minimize your injuries and downplay the ways in which the train accident has changed your life. Our train accident lawyers in Augusta won’t let their underhanded efforts hurt your ability to get the compensation you deserve.
From the moment you hire our law firm, we’ll begin to build a compelling legal claim that puts you in a favorable position during settlement negotiations. If the defense refuses to make you a fair offer, our Georgia trial attorneys will be fully prepared to argue your train accident lawsuit in front of a Richmond County jury.
Who’s Liable for a Train Accident in Augusta, GA?
Pursuant to Georgia state law, anyone who contributes to a train accident will be liable for resulting damages.
This might include a:
Train Operator
Most train accidents are a result of human error. When an operator drives a train at high speeds, makes braking errors, or is unattentive at the controls, the can cause serious derailments and other types of train accidents. In these situations, a train operator can be liable for their negligence.
Train Service
Train companies – including passenger services like Amtrak or private freight carriers like Norfolk Southern – have a responsibility to maintain railroad tracks, hire competent employees, and maintain their trains in a safe condition, among other things.
When a train service is negligent, they can be responsible for resulting train accidents. Similarly, a train company can be vicariously liable for the negligence or wrongful actions of its employees.
Motorist
Drivers have a legal obligation to be aware of train operations and follow posted railroad crossing signals. If a driver misses a signal or ignores warnings of an oncoming train, they can be liable for causing an accident.
Pedestrian
Pedestrians can sometimes cause train accidents by trespassing and walking on the tracks. If a pedestrian is on the tracks unexpectedly, it can make it difficult for an operator to brake safely, causing a collision or the train to come off the tracks.
Property Owner
A property owner may be liable if conditions on their premises interfere with normal train operations.
How Long Do I Have To Sue After a Georgia Train Accident?
Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most train accident lawsuits, including those resulting in wrongful death.
Once the two-year statute of limitations expires, you will forfeit the right to seek compensation from a negligent train company, their insurance company, or another liable party.
There are exceptions, but only for specific kinds of cases. Contact us today to best protect your legal interests.
Arrange a Free Consultation With an Experienced Augusta Train Accident Lawyer
Contact Hawk Law Group if you’ve recently gotten hurt or lost a close family member in a train accident in August, Georiga. You have rights as a victim, and our Augusta train accident lawyers want to help you demand justice and maximize your recovery.
We’ve helped clients win tens of millions in monetary awards. Discover the kind fo positive impact we can have on your life after your train accident, too.
Your first consultation is free. Call our Augusta, GA, law office to get started today.
Our personal injury law firm in Augusta also provides:
- Car Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Brain Injury Lawyer in Augusta, GA
- Bus Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in Augusta, GA
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- Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Train Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Truck Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
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Augusta, GA Train Accident Lawyer Review
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Augusta, GA Hospitals
- Augusta University Medical Center – 1120 15th St BA 8412, Augusta, GA 30912
- Doctors Hospital of Augusta – 3651 Wheeler Rd, Augusta, GA 30909
- Select Specialty Hospital – 1537 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Augusta, GA
Hawk Law Group
338 Telfair St, Augusta, GA 30901
(706) 722-3500