{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/56-416.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/56-416.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/56-416.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/56-416.html"}],"law_id":370382,"edition_id":2,"section_id":370382,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-416","catch_line":"Effect of failure to give statutory signals","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 3959; 1964, c. 621.","full_text":"If the employees in charge of any railroad engine or train fail to give the signals required by law on approaching a grade crossing of a public highway not protected with an automatically operating gate, operating wigwag signal or other operating electrical or operating automatic crossing protection device, the fact that a traveler on such highway failed to exercise due care in approaching such crossing shall not bar recovery for an injury to or death of such traveler, nor for an injury to or the destruction of property in his charge, where such injury, death, or destruction results from a collision on such crossing between such engine or train and such traveler or the property in his charge, respectively; but the failure of the traveler to exercise such care may be considered in mitigation of damages.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1381578,"text":"If the employees in charge of any railroad engine or train fail to give the signals required by law on approaching a grade crossing of a public highway not protected with an automatically operating gate, operating wigwag signal or other operating electrical or operating automatic crossing protection device, the fact that a traveler on such highway failed to exercise due care in approaching such crossing shall not bar recovery for an injury to or death of such traveler, nor for an injury to or the destruction of property in his charge, where such injury, death, or destruction results from a collision on such crossing between such engine or train and such traveler or the property in his charge, respectively; but the failure of the traveler to exercise such care may be considered in mitigation of damages.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52751,"edition_id":2,"name":"Safety Provisions","identifier":"7","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":7,"parent_id":52743,"metadata":{"child_laws":13,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:04:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:42","permalink":{"id":1476679,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52751,"identifier":"7","token":"56\/13\/7","url":"\/56\/13\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52743,"edition_id":2,"name":"Railroad Corporations","identifier":"13","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":27,"parent_id":52702,"metadata":{"child_laws":86,"child_structures":11},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:58","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:41","permalink":{"id":1476441,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52743,"identifier":"13","token":"56\/13","url":"\/56\/13\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52702,"edition_id":2,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":121,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":710,"child_structures":93},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:25","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:34","permalink":{"id":1475475,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52702,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":370379,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-413","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-413\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-413","metadata":false},{"id":370377,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-413.01","catch_line":"Locomotive and rail car standards","url":"\/56-413.01\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-413.01","metadata":false},{"id":370378,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-413.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-413.1\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-413.1","metadata":false},{"id":370380,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-414","catch_line":"Bell and whistle or horn; when sounded","url":"\/56-414\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-414","metadata":false},{"id":370381,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-415","catch_line":"Penalty for violation of \u00a7 56-414","url":"\/56-415\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-415","metadata":false},{"id":370382,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-416","catch_line":"Effect of failure to give statutory signals","url":"\/56-416\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-416","metadata":false},{"id":370384,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-417","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-417\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-417","metadata":false},{"id":370383,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-417.1","catch_line":"Clearance to be provided in construction, etc., of railroad structures","url":"\/56-417.1\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-417.1","metadata":false},{"id":370385,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-418","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-418\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-418","metadata":false},{"id":370388,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-419","catch_line":"Duplicate switch keys of railroads; unlawful making, etc.; punishment","url":"\/56-419\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-419","metadata":false},{"id":370386,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-419.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-419.1\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-419.1","metadata":false},{"id":370387,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-419.2","catch_line":"Safety requirements applicable to vehicles transporting railroad employees","url":"\/56-419.2\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-419.2","metadata":false},{"id":370390,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-420","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-420\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-420","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":370381,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-415","catch_line":"Penalty for violation of \u00a7 56-414","url":"\/56-415\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-415","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":370384,"structure_id":52751,"section_number":"56-417","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-417\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-417","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-416\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1964, chapter 621.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1476701,"object_type":"law","relational_id":370382,"identifier":"56-416","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-416","url":"\/56-416\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-416\/","token":"56\/13\/7\/56-416","dublin_core":{"Title":"Effect of failure to give statutory signals","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-416","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If the employees in charge of any <span class=\"dictionary\">railroad<\/span> engine or train fail to give the signals required by <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span> on approaching a grade crossing of a public <span class=\"dictionary\">highway<\/span> not protected with an automatically operating gate, operating wigwag signal or other operating electrical or operating automatic crossing protection device, the <span class=\"dictionary\">fact<\/span> that a traveler on such <span class=\"dictionary\">highway<\/span> failed to exercise due care in approaching such crossing shall not bar recovery for an injury to or death of such traveler, nor for an injury to or the destruction of property in his charge, where such injury, death, or destruction results from a collision on such crossing between such engine or train and such traveler or the property in his charge, respectively; but the failure of the traveler to exercise such care may be considered in mitigation of <span class=\"dictionary\">damages<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nEFFECT OF FAILURE TO GIVE STATUTORY SIGNALS (\u00a7 56-416)\n\nIf the employees in charge of any railroad engine or train fail to give the\nsignals required by law on approaching a grade crossing of a public highway not\nprotected with an automatically operating gate, operating wigwag signal or other\noperating electrical or operating automatic crossing protection device, the fact\nthat a traveler on such highway failed to exercise due care in approaching such\ncrossing shall not bar recovery for an injury to or death of such traveler, nor\nfor an injury to or the destruction of property in his charge, where such\ninjury, death, or destruction results from a collision on such crossing between\nsuch engine or train and such traveler or the property in his charge,\nrespectively; but the failure of the traveler to exercise such care may be\nconsidered in mitigation of damages.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 3959; 1964, c. 621.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}