Casselton North Dakota Accident Results in Evacuation and Concerns Over Rail Safety

On Monday December 30, 2013, the residents of a small North Dakota town called Casselton were forced from their homes following a fiery train accident. The accident, which happened around 2:30 pm, involved a BNSF Railway Co. train carrying crude oil. According to reports, the train derailed causing multiple cars to catch fire and explode.

Casselton, a town of about 2,400 residents, underwent a precautionary evacuation that lasted into Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Complicating matters were temperatures below zero which certainly made it difficult for the residents of Casselton. Residents of Casselton reported that the explosions from the accident shook their homes and businesses for hours.

The derailment happened even as concerns are growing over the safety of shipping significant quantities of crude oil by rail. Fortunately, in this accident there were not the same catastrophic effects of a similar accident in Ontario this past summer. In the Ontario accident, forty-seven people died following the derailment of a train carrying crude oil.

There are reports that BNSF has set up a claims center for people displaced form their homes due to this accident. Typically, these claims centers only reimburse people for out-of-pocket expenses related to an evacuation. The lawyers at Hendren & Malone have represented thousands of families in similar cases across the country and secured compensation not only for out-of-pocket costs but also for the loss of use of the home and other incidental expenses such as lost wages. If you or a family member have a question about your rights following an industrial accident such as this, contact the lawyers at Hendren & Malone for a free consultation.