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Disney World in Orlando, Florida (FL) is grappling with a monorail crash which killed 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg, the operator of one of the monorails. The accident involved two monorails colliding into each other in the Magic Kingdom section of the theme park, according to the BBC.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Austin’s family and friends. It’s virtually impossible to describe the pain of losing a loved one.

The Disney monorail crash re-opens fresh wounds due to the fact it’s been a little over a week since the Washington, DC Metro crash which killed nine people and injured over 50.

This is the first fatal accident involving the Disney monorail system since it opened over 30 years ago. There have been other accidents, including a train crashing into another in 1974, according to wesh.com.

This isn’t the first time Disney has dealt with a tragic accident. Back in 2004, a 22-year-old man was killed and 10 people were injured while riding the Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster. The crash was caused when two bolts on a guide-wheel assembly fell off allowing the train to derail. State investigators discovered maintenance workers didn’t understand the ride’s safety procedures, according to the Los Angeles Times. Multiple lawsuits were filed against Disney as a result.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the most recent Disney monorail crash.

Here’s a video of CNN discussing the Disney monorail accident…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HObhP2wnp98

As an injury lawyer with 20 years of experience representing clients who’ve been severely injured in mass transit accidents, I strongly recommend any company with a rail system implement a thorough examination of the safety procedures and devices. The combination of the DC Metro crash and now the Disney monorail crash indicates long-running rail systems need consistent updates and check-ups to ensure they operate properly. A thorough examination could help prevent another terrible accident from happening in the near future.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

PA

One Comment

  1. Mark Bello

    Rick: Your comments about companies with rail systems implementing safety procedures and devices is extremely important and one that all industries should take note of. Obviously, as this tragedy points out, even companies with good safety records, like Disney, are not immune to safety breakdowns. Safety should be paramount to all companies, especially those that cater to large crowds. Tragedies like this one should serve notice to all companies to review safety systems and procedures of any kind. Thank you for bringing this simple, yet very important reminder to everyone's attention. Accident prevention will always cost less that aftermath of a serious accident.

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