New Orleans Train & Railroad Accident Lawyers

Trains originating from or arriving in New Orleans have hit, and often killed, vehicle passengers and pedestrians. These types of cases can give rise to wrongful death lawsuits. The average train locomotive weighs 200 tons, so it’s no surprise that when a train collides with a vehicle or hits a pedestrian, people suffer severe injuries or death.

Our experienced personal injury lawyers represent families who have experienced the trauma of train accidents, and we fight to protect their legal rights.

Train Terminal and Streetcars in New Orleans

New Orleans is home to a beautiful train station painted with huge, colorful murals. The city also boasts an expansive network of electric streetcar lines.

Union Passenger Terminal (NOL): Located at 1001 Loyola Ave. in New Orleans, LA, this train station generates $19,706,638 in annual ticket revenue and has 170,566 in annual passenger ridership. The facility is owned by the city of New Orleans and is known for the waiting hall’s 2,166-square-foot fresco murals painted by Conrad Albrizio.
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) owns the electric streetcar system. New Orleans has five operating streetcar lines, including the St. Charles Avenue Line, the Canal Street Line (which has two branches), the Riverfront Line, and the Rampart-Loyola Line.

Compensation You May Be Entitled To

If you have been injured in a train or railroad accident or a loved one has been killed in a train collision, you could be entitled to financial compensation. Our New Orleans injury attorneys can explain the laws as they apply to your case and discuss legal next steps.

Economic Damages

Lost Wages: People injured in New Orleans train crashes can face lost wages due to time off work during their medical recovery. Injured train passengers can suffer broken bones, brain injuries, burns, and other catastrophic injuries that result in long-term disability and a permanent reduction in earnings. Pedestrians can also be injured when walking near railroad tracks and lose income due to time off work.
Medical Expenses: Railroad accident injuries often lead to expensive doctor, hospital, surgery, physical therapy, and other medical bills, as well as future rehabilitation costs. Streetcar injuries can also result in similar large medical bills.

Non-Economic Damages

Pain and Suffering: This compensation is for the significant physical pain experienced because of a train accident, as well as ongoing chronic pain.
Emotional Distress: Railroad injuries often result in sleeplessness, psychological trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental and emotional health problems.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Nightmares, anxiety, extreme fear, agoraphobia, and other lasting effects of a train collision cause many injured survivors to feel overwhelmed by life. This can lead them to stop participating in recreational, family, and social activities, leaving them isolated and lonely.

The state’s statute of limitations law was recently changed by the Louisiana State Legislature.

The statute of limitations for filing a legal claim when injured in a train accident is two years from the date of the injury, if the crash occurred on or after July 1, 2024. If you were injured in a train accident before July 1, 2024, the statute of limitations is one year from the date of the injury.

Trains Traveling From or Arriving in New Orleans Have Caused Deadly Accidents

Each year in the U.S., more than 2,000 accidents and 200 fatalities occur as a result of train collisions at railroad crossings, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). There are also more than 1,000 train derailments every year in the U.S., which can lead to more injuries and fatalities.

The following are examples of the devastation that train accidents can cause:

A young Mississippi couple was killed when an Amtrak passenger train traveling from New Orleans struck their vehicle near a railroad crossing. The deadly collision occurred at the Davis Avenue railroad crossing just blocks from historic downtown Pass Christian. The train, originating from New Orleans and headed toward Mobile, was traveling at 44 mph when it struck the couple’s car, which then slammed into the steel poles holding the crossing lights. There were 97 passengers aboard the train when the accident happened.
A man was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in New Orleans. The accident happened in the 3300 block of Earhart Blvd. at the Norman C. Francis Boulevard overpass over Interstate 10. The person was standing on the railroad tracks when they were hit and killed.
A person was hit and killed by a train traveling from New Orleans to Chicago. The man was killed in the 6900 block of Stable Drive behind Shrine on Airline in Jefferson Parish, LA. There were 114 passengers and crew aboard the train.
A man was killed after being hit by an Amtrak train near the New Orleans Lakefront Airport in the 6800 block of Hayne Boulevard. The inbound train was arriving in New Orleans with 165 passengers aboard. The train engineer supposedly sounded the horn, but the man did not respond before being hit.
An 82-year-old man died after apparently driving around railroad crossing arms and into the path of an Amtrak passenger train in a New Orleans suburb. The small pickup truck was pushed into a nearby marsh, and the driver was thrown from the vehicle.

New Orleans Medical Facilities Where Injured Passengers Can Be Treated

Adults and children who are hurt in train crashes often have life-threatening injuries. New Orleans hospitals where passengers can be treated include:

Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans: This is a major component of the Ochsner Health System and a key hospital in the New Orleans metro area. It is located at 1514 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson, LA, and has several additional locations.
University Medical Center of New Orleans: This facility, a Level I trauma center, serves as the main teaching hospital for Tulane University and LSU medical schools and is an important medical resource for the city. This $1.2 billion facility has 446 beds, and the 56-bed Emergency Department has five trauma rooms. It is located at 2000 Canal St., New Orleans, LA.
Manning Family Children’s Hospital (LCMC Health): This facility has a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center that handles serious pediatric injuries and trauma. It is located at 200 Henry Clay Ave., New Orleans, LA.

Contact Douglas & London Today for Skilled Legal Representation in New Orleans

If you’ve been injured or a loved one has been killed in a train or railroad accident, you don’t have to face the situation alone. You might be entitled to compensation for all that you’ve suffered.

At Douglas & London, our highly skilled attorneys are not afraid to take on large railroad companies to pursue compensation for our clients. To find out more about how we can help, contact us today for a free consultation about your case.