Rail Litigation & Claims

ESi combines deep railroad expertise with advanced in-house forensic laboratories and analytical technologies to address complex rail incidents. Our winning rail team is supported by experts in biomechanics, human factors, accident reconstruction, materials science, fire and explosion, and visualization to deliver comprehensive analyses and litigation support. 

Conveniently located across the U.S., ESi can mobilize quickly to investigate rail incidents and provide clear, defensible findings. Our experience across freight and passenger rail operations supports legal and insurance matters that require accurate assessments, technical depth, and rapid response.

When rail incidents occur, our experts are ready to respond. We support clients across the full range of litigation and claims matters, including employee injury claims arising under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA) and other federal statutes, grade crossing collisions involving highway vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians, high-exposure derailments involving HAZMAT, casualties, fire, and explosions, and non-employee trespasser injury claims. Whatever the matter, our team delivers the technical depth, rapid response, and defensible findings that complex rail litigation demands.

At ESi, our unique capabilities set our clients up for success at every stage of a matter. We deploy advanced evidence preservation techniques—including 3D reconstructions, laser scanning, imaging, and drone surveying—to capture critical details from the outset. Our forensics laboratories, distributed nationwide, extend our clients' own research capabilities with metallurgical analysis, component failure evaluation, and more. When the facts are contested, our reenactment simulations replicate incidents to uncover the true root cause, giving clients the clear, defensible findings they need to resolve complex rail claims with confidence.