Plaintiff was injured when the vehicle he was driving was struck by a train at a railroad crossing. Plaintiff drove his vehicle on a road which ran parallel to the railroad tracks and then turned on a road running perpendicular to the railroad tracks. He approached the railroad crossing which was marked by reflective crossbucks. Plaintiff drove his vehicle over the train tracks and his vehicle was hit by the train.
Plaintiff sued the railroad, alleging it was negligent in failing to properly mark the crossing, operating a train too fast, etc. The incident was captured on videotape.
The railroad filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting: 1) the accident was proximately caused by Plaintiff’s negligence; and 2) all of Plaintiff’s claims were preempted by federal law.
The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the railroad based on the accident video and all of the other evidence available on the record. The approaching train was plainly visible to the driver. Plaintiff appealed the summary judgment entered in favor of the railroad.
The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the summary judgment for the railroad, holding: 1) all of Plaintiff’s negligence claims were preempted by federal law; and 2) agreeing the Plaintiff’s own negligence was the proximate cause of the accident.
Short v. Union Pacific Railroad Company, 2013 OK CIV APP 110. 315 P.3d 400