In all accidents involving trains, it is vital that prompt measures be taken by mass disaster accident attorneys to investigate the accident.

Among the many steps taken to precisely prepare and litigate train accident cases we:

• Preserve all evidence
  
  
• Obtain reports of local governmental agencies
  
  
• Photograph scene, cars, undamaged equipment
  
  
• Obtain scale models of equipment
  
  
• Survey track area
  
  
• Obtain the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report
  
  
• Obtain the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and any other government agency reports
  
  
• Obtain witness statements
  
  
•  Acquire coroner reports and records
  
  
• Obtain the black box data if the train was equipped with an ECM (Electronic Control Module)
  
  
• Obtain the defendants’ safety record
  
  
• Get the full background and history on the conductor, rail switch operators, etc.
  
  
• Secure an accident reconstruction expert
  
  
• Communicate with prosecuting attorney if any criminal proceedings are involved
  
  
• Determine the best legal venue determined by substantive law and choice of law issues
  
  
• Identify any governmental entities involved
  
  
• Prepare and file claim forms against governmental entities, if necessary
  
  
• Prepare and file the lawsuit
  
  
• Begin discovery to obtain information and documents by interrogatories, requests for production and subpoenas
  
  
• Depose the defendants and witnesses
  
  
• Prepare the case for trial
  
  
• Try or settle the case depending, first, on the needs of the client, and then on the behavior of the defendant(s)

It is our job to obtain optimum results for our clients by using effective litigation and resolution strategies.

We have many years of hard-fought, winning experience through which we have accumulated both public and confidential statistics regarding major personal injury and wrongful death case results nationwide and regularly supplement this information with national database statistics. We have successfully litigated or settled cases involving virtually all of the major insurance carriers. Consequently, we know the merits of these cases and the practices of our opponents. We use both to benefit our clients.

Baum Hedlund maintains a traditional law library and has state-of-the-art computerized legal research data banks. We have immediate access to:

• the latest federal, state or local laws and regulations

• federal, state and local court rules

• economic and scientific experts in all geographic areas

• all relevant product-safety information

• government product databases

This wide range of available information aids in effectively investigating and litigating our clients’ cases.

We are a national law firm and maintain offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. and are licensed to practice in California, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and The District of Columbia. We have represented personal injury and wrongful death victims in all fifty states.  We do this by obtaining permanent or temporary court admissions and/or associating with local counsel where we are not licensed. Hiring local counsel in no way increases our attorney fee.