Albuquerque Train Accident Attorney

Taking the train can be safer than driving a car, especially in a busy city like Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, train accidents are something that happen across the United States every day. In 2024, 2,261 train accidents were reported nationwide, resulting in at least 763 injuries and 262 fatalities. 

While the chances of being involved in a train accident are significantly less than being involved in a traffic accident are less, it can still happen. If you’ve recently been hurt in a train accident in Albuquerque, it’s important to explore your legal options. Many times, train accidents happen because the train service, the train operator, or another party is negligent. They should be held accountable for the harm you’ve endured. Singleton Schreiber’s Albuquerque injury attorneys can help you fight for a maximum financial recovery.

Singleton Schreiber is a nationally trusted personal injury law firm dedicated to fighting for the rights of accident victims and families. Drawing on decades of combined legal experience, our legal team has secured more than $3 billion in monetary awards for clients across the country.

Now, our local Albuquerque litigators are ready to stand up and fight for your best interests after a train accident, too. Contact our Albuquerque, NM, law office to schedule your free consultation.

Why Do Train Accidents Happen?

Trains are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). These state and federal agencies have important safety rules in place to encourage safe rail operations and to reduce the likelihood that a train accident happens. 

However, safety regulations can only do so much. It’s up to the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, Amtrak, BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, Texas & New Mexico Railway, and other commuter and freight rail services to follow the rules and practice safe railway operations.

All too often, human error and avoidable mechanical problems – often stemming from violations of these safety regulations – contribute to train accidents in Albuquerque.

Some frequently cited causes of train accidents include:

• Operating trains at unsafe speeds, especially when approaching and taking curves in the track
• Operating a train under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Operator inattention or distraction
• Operator fatigue
• Signal misinterpretation
• Miscommunication with other rail operators
• Improper braking
• Exercising poor judgment
• Brake failure
• Engine failure
• Broken wheels
• Bearing failures
• Broken axles
• Coupling failure
• Vehicles or pedestrians on the tracks

There are also times when the tracks themselves can be defective, damaged, or broken and contribute to train accidents in Albuquerque.

Who’s Liable For My Train Accident?

In New Mexico, anyone who contributes to a train accident can be held accountable for resulting property damage, injuries, and/or wrongful deaths. Many times, more than one party is liable.

Potentially liable parties can include:

• Companies and agencies that operate rail services in Albuquerque, including the Rio Metro Regional Transit District, the New Mexico Department of Transportation, and Amtrak
• The Alvarado Transportation Center
• Rail operators and staff
• Drivers of motor vehicles
• Pedestrians/trespassers
• Bicyclists
• Property owners
• Government agencies responsible for rail maintenance
• Companies that manufactured defective vehicle or train components
• The employer of a negligent party

Under the state’s modified comparative negligence doctrine, liability is proportionate to fault. The more a party’s negligence contributes to a train accident, the more they’ll be accountable for resulting damages. 

Shared fault can affect your ability to get compensation as a victim, too. Damages are reduced based on your contributory negligence up to 99 percent. If your train accident claim is worth $100,000 but you’re assigned 15 percent of the blame for the train accident, your maximum settlement or jury award will be $85,000.

What Compensation Can I Recover For My Albuquerque Train Accident Injuries?

Whether you’re involved in a collision with another train, a derailment, or collide with a pedestrian or motor vehicle on the tracks, you can suffer serious and debilitating injuries, including spinal cord injuries, amputations, crushing injuries, brain injuries, and burns.

When someone else bears responsibility for the train accident, they can be held legally responsible for your injuries, related financial costs, and harder-to-value trauma.

Our New Mexico train accident attorneys in Albuquerque can help you seek compensatory damages for:

• Emergency room treatment, surgery, diagnostic testing, medication, hospitalization, and other current medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages and income
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Permanent disability
• Reduced earning capacity
• Damage to your vehicle or other personal property
• Basic out-of-pocket expenses
• Rehabilitation and therapy
• Pain and suffering
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Loss of consortium
• Reduced quality of life
• Emotional distress
• Inconvenience

The more severely you’re injured and the more your life changes because of the train accident, the more compensation you can potentially get through a settlement agreement or verdict at trial in Bernalillo County. Working with a skilled and resourceful Albuquerque personal injury attorney who has experience litigating train accident cases can help you maximize your recovery.

How Can a Train Accident Attorney in Albuquerque Help Me?

Train accidents can be very traumatic. You’re susceptible to severe and painful injuries.  It’ll take time for you to recover and get back on your feet. However, it’s also important to take a stand and fight for compensation to help you get your life back on track.

Hiring an experienced Albuquerque train accident attorney can make life after a train accident a lot easier.

Train accident victims choose Singleton Schreiber because we’re passionate about the work we do and are known for going above and beyond to make a difference in our clients’ lives.

We appreciate that you’ve got one opportunity to get compensation for your train accident injuries, and we’re here to help you make the most of it by:

• Investigating your train accident independently to ensure that the train service isn’t able to get rid of evidence or control the claims process in any way
• Gather event recorder data, dash cam footage, photographs, physical evidence from the scene, eyewitness statements, medical records, accident reports, and other valuable evidence to help prove your case
• Bring in trustworthy and reliable experts in the rail industry, forensics, medicine, psychology, and other areas of specialty to support our legal efforts
• Make sure your train accident claim complies with rules and procedures established by New Mexico state law
• Aggressively pursue a high-value settlement during negotiations with the train service and its insurance company
• Bring your train accident lawsuit to a jury if you’re not offered a fair deal

Our personal injury attorneys in Albuquerque have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of applicable state and federal rail regulations, as well as a proven history of litigating complex train accident cases like yours. We’ll bring our collective experience and national resources to your case and help you fight for every cent you deserve.

You’ll have limited time to assert your rights. New Mexico typically applies a three-year statute of limitations to train accident cases. A claim involving a public train service, such as the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, can be subject to more accelerated timelines. In these situations, you’ll often have just 90 days to provide notice of your intent to sue. 

There’s no time to waste, so don’t hesitate to reach out to our Albuquerque, NM, law office to discuss yoru train accident case with our award-winning team. Your first consultation is free.