Network Rail found guilty following fatal accident
Posted: 26th February 2013
Posted in: Car Accidents Road Traffic Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death
Network Rail and one of its employees have been found guilty of breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations following the death of a woman at a level crossing in Herefordshire.
Jane Harding died after her car was struck by a train at Moreton-on-Lugg level crossing in January 2010.
The accident happened after signalman Maund raised the crossing barriers too early after mistakenly thinking the train had already passed. It had not and struck the Hardings’ vehicle as it passed over the crossing.
The prosecution told Birmingham Crown Court that Network Rail had opted not spend money on an automatic locking device that would have prevented a signalman from being able to manually raise the crossing barriers if a train was approaching.
Network Rail argued that the balance between the cost of installing approach locking and the risk of such an accident happening at Moreton-on-Lugg meant it was not reasonably practicable to install the added safety measure.
Following the trial, the jury of seven women and five men found both the signalman and Network Rail guilty.
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