Mass Transit (Airline, Cruise Ship, Train, Bus)

• $1M Award to Wrongfully Fired Rail Employee a Message to Railroads to Take Safety Seriously

  Richard N. (Rick) Shapiro | March 29, 2012 11:26 AM | 1 CommentVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  After learning and blogging about a landmark civil jury award to a wrongfully terminated Metro-North commuter railroad employee in Connecticut (CT), I contacted plaintiff's attorney Charles...

• Running Aground Can be Deadly on Big Ships and Small Boats Alike

  Randy Appleton | January 19, 2012 3:23 PM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  If you’ve checked out any major news website in the last couple of days, you’ve likely seen the shocking photos of a giant cruise ship laying on its side in waters off the coast of...

• Taxis to Largely Replace Paratransit Buses in Hampton Roads, Raising Service and Safety Concerns

  Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton | November 10, 2011 7:06 AM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  In a move projected to trim $500,000 in annual operating costs, Hampton Roads Transit has begun phasing in a plan to cut its fleet of Handi-Ride paratransit buses and vans from 87 to 33 and transfer...

• Low-Fare Buses Seven Times More Likely to Be Involved in Fatal Crashes

  Emily Mapp Brannon | November 02, 2011 9:02 PM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  New findings from the National Transportation Safety Board suggest that bus companies that cut costs are also cutting corners when it comes to safety. Low-fare, privately operated...

• Train Collision in China Raises Concern Over Their Rapid Speed Rail System

  Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton | July 27, 2011 3:48 PM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  A day after two bullet trains ran into each in northern China, firefighters found an unconscious toddler in the wreckage and rushed the child to a hospital. They were able to save the little boy,...

• Bus Operator Safety Questioned After Virginia (VA) Crash Leaves Four Dead

  Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton | June 01, 2011 8:54 AM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  A terrible bus crash north of Richmond, Virginia (VA), the morning of May 31, 2011, left four women dead and sent 54 injured people to 10 hospitals, some with serious injuries. It has also raised a...

• Kit-built Planes Pose Serious Safety Risks

  Jim Lewis | March 27, 2010 2:49 PM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  Statistics point to a clear safety concern for people who operate kit-built airplanes. These types of planes accounted for 18 percent of non-commercial plane crashes in 2008, even though they logged...

• Grounded: Investigation Calls Airline Safety Into Question

  Jim Lewis | February 02, 2010 3:31 PM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  A recent investigation into the airline industry revealed some shocking information. First and foremost, planes have taken off and been used numerous times even after the FAA discovered...

• President's High-Speed Rail Initiative: Devil May Be in Details with FELA/Labor Protections

  Rick Shapiro | January 29, 2010 2:10 PM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  When President Obama passed the Recovery and Reinvestment Act last year, $8 billion was allotted for high-speed light rail expansion. The president also requested Congress to provide another $1...

• Video and Voice Recorders in Locomotives to Prevent, Detect Unsafe Crew Actions

  Rick Shapiro | January 22, 2010 6:34 PM | 2 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  Fifteen months of investigations and hearings have lead the National Transportation Safety Board to conclude that the chief engineer of a Los Angeles-area Metrolink commuter train was texting...