Legal Information Notice: This checklist provides general educational information only. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not apply to your jurisdiction or circumstances. Laws and deadlines vary. Do not rely on this checklist for a specific legal decision or deadline; consult a qualified attorney licensed in the relevant jurisdiction.
“A train accident investigation can contain evidence you may never see unless you know where to look.”
The Federal Railroad Administration maintains accident, incident, casualty and crossing datasets, making transportation-data verification a particularly useful component of this category.
25 Buyer-Beware Warnings
- ☐ Record the train/operator.
- ☐ Record location.
- ☐ Record date/time.
- ☐ Preserve tickets.
- ☐ Preserve photographs.
- ☐ Preserve medical records.
- ☐ Identify witnesses.
- ☐ Identify crossing information.
- ☐ Preserve vehicle damage.
- ☐ Don’t alter damaged equipment unnecessarily.
- ☐ Identify whether a crossing was involved.
- ☐ Identify warning devices.
- ☐ Record weather conditions.
- ☐ Identify available video.
- ☐ Preserve communications.
- ☐ Check official incident data.
- ☐ Identify potential defendants.
- ☐ Determine applicable law.
- ☐ Verify railroad litigation experience.
- ☐ Ask about experts.
- ☐ Ask about evidence preservation.
- ☐ Track deadlines.
- ☐ Don’t assume the railroad’s investigation is the only investigation.
- ☐ Don’t sign releases prematurely.
- ☐ Preserve all accident-related records.
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