Sure. Whatever the railroad is willing to sue for.
@Dominic Mazoch posted:But suppose the driver has deep pockets? Could the railroad go after that?
Haven't heard of any of the 1%ers getting in grade crossing collisions... Seems like most of the people are regular impatient or inattentive schmoes.
Rusty
@Rich Melvin posted:Oh yes…just ask a “journalist” to explain a stall and you will always get a story about how the engine stalled. Hilarious.
Yep, I always worried a lot about my engine stalling... 
Road closed for over 25 years.
This is a Google Earth Image. That now shows a road that has been closed by the CSX Railroad & The Oakland County Road Commission. In Highland Twp. Michigan. For over 25 years.
On a Friday afternoon three high school girls were killed by car train collision as they were driving home from school. The road leading up to the crossing was on a gravel downgrade. They put on their brakes and the car slides onto the track killing all three students.
This was a devastating event for this community. A lengthy investigation by the CSX RR & The Oakland County Road Commission came to the conclusion that this crossing was unsafe and closed the road permanently.
Gary
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Gary, when did that accident happen?
As to a RR suing the driver, the RR's attorney might decide to counterclaim in a suit by the driver's survivors to get the jury to realize the RR also had loss. If I were the RR's atty, I'd love to have available video from a cab camera, with sound, to show what happened and that the engineer sounded the proper signals.
@RJR posted:Gary, when did that accident happen?
@trainroomgary posted:Road closed for over 25 years.
This is a Google Earth Image. That now shows a road that has been closed by the CSX Railroad & The Oakland County Road Commission. In Highland Twp. Michigan. For over 25 years.
I think he made that pretty clear, 25 years ago!
GRJ, I read it somewhat differently: that the road had been closed 25 years ago and somehow the kids now got on it (crossing gates are not the only barriers that can be driven around) and went barreling downhill.
@RJR posted:GRJ, I read it somewhat differently: that the road had been closed 25 years ago and somehow the kids now got on it (crossing gates are not the only barriers that can be driven around) and went barreling downhill.
I don't get that out of it. However, it may be just the way he's writing it. What I'm reading is this incident happened 25 years ago and resulted in the permanent closure of the road.
@trainroomgary posted:This was a devastating event for this community. A lengthy investigation by the CSX RR & The Oakland County Road Commission came to the conclusion that this crossing was unsafe and closed the road permanently.
Would adding a traffic light at mainline and high incident crossings help? For some reason people don't take crossing lights as seriously as they do a traffic light. Heck, the poles and electric are all ready there. We've all seen traffic lights replace stop signs because people don't seem to take stop signs seriously either. Highway departments should also play part in keeping people safe at crossings too. Not just the railroad. It is their road.
Dave Z: You do have a sense of humor. Around here, we've learned to stop at a green light to let the red-running traffic through the intersection. Of course, here in the Washington DC area we have many very important people.
@RJR posted:Of course, here in the Washington DC area we have many very important people.
A legend in their own minds. 
A map of the closed road.
Stupid Driver is Not a Legal Term.
I have never seen the term “Stupid Driver” on a Accident Report Form. Issued by a law-enforcement agency.
The correct legal terms are, “Careless Driver” or “Reckless Driver” -There are detail legal definitions for both of these in the “National & Michigan Vehicle Code”.
Gary
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The stupidity goes on...
Rusty
@Dave Zucal posted:Would adding a traffic light at mainline and high incident crossings help?
I think that's a good idea. On Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark a combination of traffic lights and flashing RR lights are used. I think people are more "programmed" to stop for a red traffic light than for flashing crossbucks.
Stupid Motorist may not be the legal term, but in Arizona's monsoon season, flooded washes and roadways are common threats for drivers. Often times, when a motorist attempts to cross a flooded area they get stuck and need rescue. This occurs so commonly that the state passed a law in 1995 to try and relive the financial burden upon taxpayers for the costly rescues and which also pose safety risks to the public safety and law enforcement agencies who perform them.
The law is commonly referred to as the “stupid motorist law.” Says it all.
New headline:
"A Kansas couple died Thursday when a train crashed into their car."
@Arthur P. Bloom posted:New headline:
"A Kansas couple died Thursday when a train crashed into their car."
Once again a misleading headline! It should have read more like...
"A Kansas couple died Thursday when they drove around lowered crossing barricades and in front of a speeding train."
If anyone had any doubt that journalism is dead...
I shan't defend journalists or other low lifes, but technically they were correct: the train did crash into the car.
@RJR posted:I shan't defend journalists or other low lifes, but technically they were correct: the train did crash into the car.
Except,,,,,,,,,,,,that headline makes it sound like the "poor elderly couple" was simply driving down the road, and the darned train DELIBERATELY ran into their car and killed them!
@RJR posted:I shan't defend journalists or other low lifes, but technically they were correct: the train did crash into the car.
You can make almost any stupid action sound OK and be "technically correct" by just leaving out important details.
