Train accidents often occur because of human error, problems with the track, equipment, and/or signal. Oftentimes many people are injured because of train accidents. There are many factors that lead to a railroad accident and there are many people who may be liable. It is the responsibility of the railroad company to maintain the tracks and the train. But truck and car drivers are responsible if they do not follow laws that are intended to protect against accidents. People who are injured in train accidents may be compensated for their injury, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Mazama (population 230) is a small village nestled in the Methow Valley of the Methow River in the eastern part of Washington. It is 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Winthrop and about 28 miles (45 km) from the Canadian border. Located on the eastern flank of the Cascade mountain range, forests of Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine cover Mazama and the surrounding area, which is home to one of the world's longest cross-country skiing trails, stretching for 120 miles (193 km) and running through the town itself. Mazama's town center elevation is 2,178 feet (664 meters) and it is located 2.7 miles south, and 4,700 feet below Goat Peak. Mazama and Winthrop recorded the coldest temperature ever measured in Washington state at −48 °F (-44.4 °C) on December 30, 1968. In the 19th century the town was called "Goat Creek". When a post office was secured in 1899 the settlers chose a name they thought was Greek for "mountain goat". They later discovered that they had looked in the wrong dictionary. Mazama means "mountain goat" in Spanish, not Greek. Since 2006, Mazama has been the site of Caps Camping.