Fatigue and Freight Train Accidents

Freight trains are responsible for moving a huge quantity of goods across the country on a daily basis. They are huge, weigh a ton, and can expose thousands of people to danger on a daily basis. According to a study by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), tired crew members play a huge role in railroad accidents that are a result of human factors.

Human errors include things like poor judgment, miscommunication, inattentiveness, and failure to follow procedures. Errors like this do not always occur on their own. In a year long study, the FRA found that 25% of all accidents that had human error as the cause, also had fatigue play a significant role.

The FRA, through an analysis of the frequently erratic schedules that are often quite long, was able to detect the exact point at which fatigue becomes a hazard. The study analyzed the erratic schedules of conductors, brake operators, and locomotive engineers alike.

Of all of the professions, freight train engineers, conductors, and brake operators have some of the most irregular work schedules in the transportation industry. These hardworking individuals frequently put in 60 to 70 hour work weeks. In addition, they can be called back to the rail yard at any time which leads to frequent disruptions of the sleep schedules. This disruption results in basically the equivalent of jet lag.

In a 4 year period, from 2001 to 2005, fatigue played a starring role in 1,473 of the 5,892 human-factor related train accidents across the nation. Since 1996, the number of human-related mishaps has risen between 50% and 60%; however, the total number of accidents related to other causes has declined.

Contact a Lake Geneva Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured in a freight train or other train accident, contact the Lake Geneva personal injury lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier, S.C. at 1-800-242-2874.