Trains are a symbol of the great American spirit of exploration, expansion and progress. They’re also the cause of thousands of deaths and severe injuries nationwide each year, say personal injury attorneys. Jacksonville is particularly vulnerable as it’s a major port, transportation and logistics hub that sees dozens of trains pass through town daily. Statistics show that a person or vehicle is hit by a train every 115 minutes and that these accidents kill upwards of 1,000 people and injure many more each year. Nearly half of those collisions occur at railroad crossings with fully functioning automatic warning devices including flashing lights, and many ultimately are deemed the fault of an impatient driver attempting to beat the train across the tracks. But in many other cases, train collisions, derailments and spills are the fault of the railroad, operating agency or train driver and each can be held legally and financially responsible. Hundreds of the train accidents and derailments that happen each year could be prevented by proper maintenance of trains and crossing guards, as well as by railroad employees