If you’ve been injured in a train accident, whether in Orlando, Florida or elsewhere, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. You should contact an Orlando train accident attorney at Spetsas Buist Accident Injury Lawyers as soon as possible at (321) LAWSUIT for a free legal consultation.
We can help you better understand your injury claim and protect your legal rights. Also, when you work with us, you pay nothing upfront. Representation is free unless we recover money for you.
Why You Should Hire an Orlando Train Accident Attorney Immediately
The insurance companies in Florida are ruthless. Shortly after an accident, they will have their adjusters reach out to you to get you to give them a recorded statement. The recorded statement is not for your benefit. They do this so that they can record a conversation with you before you speak with an attorney.
Also, insurance companies will send their people to the scene of the train accident right away to begin stacking evidence in their favor. They know that the sooner they gather evidence, the better chance they will have of minimizing or denying your claim. You can level the playing field by getting us involved, and we will fight back against these insurance company tactics.
The insurance companies fight so hard in these types of cases because of the high potential value in a train accident lawsuit. Train accidents are uniquely horrific because of the sheer mass and weight of trains versus the objects they impact. Additionally, some trains carry dangerous cargo, like flammable materials, chemicals, and fuel. Whether you’re a passenger, an innocent bystander, or an engineer or operator, a train accident can drastically alter your life, and thus the damages can be very high.
The personal injury lawyers at Spetsas Buist handled complex commercial insurance claims for the insurance companies and corporations prior to representing injured people. We know what it takes to pursue a successful claim against a powerful entity, and we know how these entities defend injury claims. Once you talk with us, you'll see why injured people in Orlando choose Spetsas Buist.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Common Types of Train Accidents in Orlando
As you could probably guess, we don’t hear about all the train accidents that occur each year in Orlando because news organizations only report the stuff they deem worthy of the most attention. Therefore, for every one train accident we hear about, many more train accidents occur. Here are some of the more common types of train accidents that occur each year in Orlando and the surrounding areas:
- Train accidents that injure the passengers on board
- Train accidents resulting from a derailment
- An accident where a train crashes into another train
- Train and car accidents
- A train carrying hazardous materials or toxic materials derails and spills waste into a community
- Train and pedestrian accidents
- Train and bicycle accidents
Train Accident Statistics at Crossings
Every year the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) compiles train accident and incident statistics. Although train accidents aren’t as common as car accidents or truck accidents, they are still more frequent than many people might imagine.
While total train accidents include derailments and other train‑only incidents, the vast majority of serious public safety impacts involve collisions with pedestrians and vehicles at crossings. Over the past several years, FRA data show these incidents continue to cause deaths and injuries across the country.
Total Train/Highway‑Rail Grade Crossing Collisions (U.S.)
Below are the total number of highway‑rail grade crossing collisions over the past several years:
- 2018 / 2,239 collisions
- 2019 / 2,240 collisions
- 2020 / 1,904 collisions
- 2021 / 2,155 collisions
- 2022 / 2,221 collisions
- 2023 / 2,197 collisions
- 2024 / 2,263 collisions
- 2025* / 1,870 collisions (preliminary)
Train / Crossing Fatalities
Below are the total number of fatalities resulting from train crossing collisions:
- 2018 / 258 deaths
- 2019 / 290 deaths
- 2020 / 194 deaths
- 2021 / 231 deaths
- 2022 / 276 deaths
- 2023 / 244 deaths
- 2024 / 264 deaths
- 2025* / 247 deaths (preliminary)
Nonfatal Train / Crossing Injuries
Below are the total number of reported injuries from these incidents:
- 2018 / 849 injuries
- 2019 / 846 injuries
- 2020 / 702 injuries
- 2021 / 691 injuries
- 2022 / 878 injuries
- 2023 / 787 injuries
- 2024 / 771 injuries
- 2025* / 632 injuries (preliminary)
These statistics show that even in recent years, thousands of highway‑rail grade crossing collisions occur annually in the U.S., resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries each year. While overall collision rates declined in 2025 according to preliminary figures, the toll of lives lost and injured remains significant.
Causes of Train Accidents
There are many ways a train accident could occur. However, an overwhelming majority of train accidents happen because of one or more of the issues below.
Insufficient Warnings at Railroad Crossings
More than half of all railroad crossings still lack the proper warning signs, lights, and gates, which drastically reduce the number of railroad crossing injuries and fatalities. Hopefully, this will not always be the case. However, as a result of insufficient warning equipment, most railroad accidents occur at railroad crossings.
Railroad Track Defects
Track defects can cause train accidents and derailments. These types of defects often involve a foreign object obstructing the tracks, like a tree, telephone pole, or an abandoned vehicle. If the conductors do not notice the object, the train can collide with the object and cause an accident.
Mechanical Failure on Trains and at Crossings
Trains are complex machines, and even the most experienced inspectors can overlook a defect. In the same way, there are many railroad crossings in the United States, and some of them will inevitably malfunction for one reason or another. Thus, although these types of failures are not common, they can and do cause train accidents.
Railroad Negligence
Conductors, railroad workers, and government agencies all play a critical role in keeping our railways safe. When someone acts recklessly or carelessly with regard to their railroad duties, the result can be injury or death.
Motorist and Pedestrian Crossings
The railroad company or train company is not always at fault in a train accident. Sometimes a driver, pedestrian, or cyclist can cause an accident by crossing the tracks at an improper time or by leaving a vehicle parked on the tracks. However, these improper crossings are often the result of other issues, like warnings, gate malfunctions, or improper signage.
Contact an Orlando Train Accident Lawyer at Spetsas Buist
If you've been injured in an accident involving a train, you should reach out to us at (321) LAWSUIT right away to speak with a lawyer that can help you get maximum compensation for your claim. Fighting the insurance companies alone, especially in Florida, could result in significant losses. Insurance companies fight injury claims every day, and they are very skilled at not paying injured people. That's how they make their money.
We know how to fight the big insurance companies because we used to represent them. We know how to beat them, and we can begin working with you from day one to make sure you get as much money as you're entitled to under the law.
When you work with us, you don't have to worry about paying us anything upfront. We don't get paid until we recover money for you. If we don't recover any money, you don't owe us a thing. We take 100% of the risk on your case.