Chambersburg Train Accident Lawyer

Have you been injured in a train accident near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania? Call Marzzacco Niven & Associates today. You may have a viable legal claim against the train company, the train’s operator, or another liable party. Our experienced Chambersburg train accident lawyers can help you make the most of your fight for compensation.

Marzzacco Niven & Associates is a top-rated personal injury law firm known for its fierce defense of client rights and tireless pursuit of justice. Backed by over 120 years of combined legal experience, we’ve forced powerful transportation services, insurance companies, manufacturers, and government agencies to pay our clients tens of millions of dollars in financial awards.

Discover the kind of life-changing impact we can have on your train accident case by contacting our Chambersburg law office today at (717) 388-2378. Your first consultation is free.

How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help You After a Train Accident in Chambersburg, PA

How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help You After a Train Accident in Chambersburg, PA

Train derailments, collisions with motor vehicles, and other types of train accidents can be violent and have catastrophic consequences for those involved. If you’ve been the victim of a train accident in Chambersburg, PA, there’s a good chance that you’ll face a long road to recovery. You shouldn’t have to navigate that path on your own, nor should you have to pay for the costs of someone else’s mistake.

That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to call an experienced Chambersburg personal injury lawyer for help.

For over 15 years, Marzzacco Niven & Associates has been a passionate legal advocate for train accident victims and their families in Chambersburg and throughout the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As award-winning trial attorneys recognized as Best Lawyers of America, Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars, and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, our innovative legal strategies and commitment to client justice have resulted in tens of millions in monetary awards.

We’re here to handle all aspects of your train accident case while you take the time you need to focus on your recovery.

Count on us to:

  • Review the results of investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other government agencies
  • Conduct a thorough independent investigation into your train accident
  • Evaluate video footage, data gathered from the train’s event data recorders, train service hiring and training policies, photographs, property damage, witness statements, forensics results, train maintenance records, medical records, and other important pieces of evidence
  • Enlist specialists and professionals whose expertise can be helpful in understanding more technical, non-legal aspects of your train accident
  • Anticipate allegations of comparative fault and devise a strategy to limit the potential impact on your fight for compensation
  • Assess your damages and calculate what your train injury claim is worth
  • Fight to secure a top-dollar settlement offer for you during negotiations with the train service and/or its insurance company
  • Take your train accident lawsuit to trial in Franklin County to fight for better case results, if necessary

We appreciate that you’re going through an incredibly difficult time in your life, and our Pennsylvania train accident lawyers are committed to doing everything possible to make things easier. This includes representing you on contingency, so there’s no cost to hire our law firm until we’ve recovered compensation for your train accident case.

Contact our Chambersburg, PA, law office to set a time for a free consultation today. 

What Are the Primary Causes of Train Accidents?

In 2023, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ranked 14th in the nation for train accidents, with a total of 54. These incidents caused at least 22 injuries and one death. Train accidents are more commonly reported in more rural parts of the state, including Franklin County.

Even though train operations are subject to important safety guidelines and regulations – as established by both state and federal law – derailments, collisions with fixed objects, and track-related train accidents still happen far too often. Statistically speaking, more than one-third of all train accidents are caused by human error, including lapses in judgment and violations of safety regulations.

Some of the most commonly cited causes of train accidents include:

  • Operator inattention
  • Drug and alcohol use
  • Operate fatigue
  • Speeding
  • Improper braking
  • Operator inexperience
  • Reckless operation
  • Improper lookout

Sometimes, train accidents can happen due to factors outside of an operator’s control, including mechanical failure, signal defects, track defects, trespassers on the tracks, and negligent railroad maintenance.

When a train accident involves a motor vehicle or a pedestrian, the driver’s or pedestrian’s mistakes can also be a contributing factor.

Who Could Be Liable For My Chambersburg Train Accident?

In Pennsylvania, all parties who contribute to a train accident can be liable, including a:

  • Train operator or engineer
  • Train employee
  • Private train service like Amtrak
  • Government-run train service
  • Property owner
  • Train mechanic
  • Train or vehicle manufacturer
  • Negligent party’s employer
  • Government agency
  • Pedestrian
  • Driver of a passenger vehicle

The more responsibility a party bears for a train accident, the more they’ll be on the hook for your damages. Our Chambersburg train accident attorneys will carefully investigate the circumstances of your case and uncover precisely why and how you got hurt. When we’ve established the cause, we’ll begin to work to hold those at fault accountable for the harm you’ve suffered.

What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Chambersburg Train Accident Victims?

Whether you request insurance benefits or file a civil train accident lawsuit, you’ll have the ability to recover compensatory damages – both for economic and non-economic losses.

Economic damages are paid to cover your financial losses, including those related to:

Non-economic damages are paid to help you cope with more difficult-to-value trauma, such as:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of companionship
  • Reduced quality of life
  • Chronic physical pain 
  • Embarrassment
  • Disfigurement
  • Physical scarring
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

If the train company refuses to offer a settlement that genuinely represents what your train accident claim is worth, it could move forward to trial. In this case, you may also qualify to receive punitive damages. 

In Pennsylvania, punitive damages can be awarded by a jury when there is compelling evidence of malice, intent to cause harm, or gross negligence. Punitive damages are awarded solely to punish a train service or another defendant for conduct that is clearly reprehensible.

Can Shared Fault Limit My Pennsylvania Train Accident Settlement?

Yes – Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence law applies to cases involving shared fault. As a result, sharing more than 50 percent of the blame for a recent train accident in Chambersburg will be a total bar to recovery.

You’ll be entitled to compensation on a reduced basis if you share some, but not most, of the blame for your train accident. Damages are reduced based on your shared fault. So, you could expect to get half the value of your train accident claim if you were assigned half of the blame for your injuries.

Our train accident lawyers in Chambersburg will be ready to challenge claims of shared fault, especially when they’re made without any basis in fact or without evidence to support them. The less liability you’re assigned, the more compensation you can typically recover when your train accident claim is resolved.

Common Train Accident Injuries

It’s not unusual for victims of Pennsylvania train accidents to suffer serious physical injuries, including:

It’s imperative that you report your train accident to the local police and seek prompt medical treatment. Getting to the closest emergency room right away can help to mitigate your injuries and document your trauma, both of which will be crucial if you decide to file a train accident claim for damages in the future.

What is the Statute of Limitations For Train Accident Claims in Pennsylvania?

Barring any exceptions, like the injury to a child or the involvement of a government agency, you’ll typically have two years to file a train accident lawsuit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

You must file your claim within the applicable statute of limitations if you want to reserve the right to recover compensation from a negligent party. When time runs out, so does your ability to demand justice.

Arrange a Free Case Review With an Experienced Chambersburg Train Accident Lawyer

Call Marzzacco Niven & Associates for help after a train accident in Chambersburg, PA. Someone else was careless, and you deserve compensation. Our Chambersburg train accident lawyers can help you demand a maximum financial award.

Choosing our legal team puts 120+ years of collective experience and award-winning Pennsylvania litigators in your corner. Contact our law office in Chambersburg to set a time for a complimentary case review today.