Terms Used In Iowa Code 327C.4

  • Condition: means a general problem that may be attributable to a defect in more than one part. See Iowa Code 322G.2
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • department: means the department of transportation. See Iowa Code 327C.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
 The department shall inspect the condition of each railroad’s rail track, and may inspect the condition of each railroad’s rail facilities, equipment, rolling stock, operations and pertinent records at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner to insure proper operations. Employees of the department shall have proper identification which shall be displayed upon request. If found unsafe, the department shall immediately notify the railroad corporation whose duty it is to put the same in repair, which shall be done by it within such time as the department shall fix. If any corporation fails to perform this duty the department may forbid and prevent it from running trains over the defective portion while unsafe or may regulate the speed and operation of trains moving over the defective portion of the railroad. If the railroad corporation violates any requirement provided by the department, the railroad corporation shall be subject to a schedule “two” penalty for each day the repairs have not been made from the date the department set for repairs to be completed. The court may consider the willingness and ability of the railroad corporation to cooperate in removing the safety hazard. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 669, the state shall not be held liable for damages for any act or failure to act under the provisions of this section.