When most people get hurt on the job in this country, they file a workers’ compensation claim. The system is straightforward, more or less. The worker gets medical care and a portion of their lost wages, the employer’s insurance pays the bill, and the question of who was at fault rarely comes up. It isn’t perfect, but it works for […]
FELA vs. Workers’ Compensation: What’s the Difference for Injured Railroad Workers?
The Cancers Railroad Workers Are Most at Risk For
Railroad work has always been physically demanding, but for generations, the most dangerous part of the job wasn’t the heavy lifting or the moving of equipment. It was the air. Workers spent decades breathing diesel exhaust, handling asbestos-lined components, scraping benzene-based solvents, and walking around creosote-treated ties without knowing what those exposures were doing inside their bodies. The illnesses they […]
What the Federal Rule of Two-Person Train Crews Means for Railroad Safety
For decades, the question of how many people belong in a locomotive cab has been one of the most contested issues in the railroad industry. Workers and unions have argued that two crew members are essential for safe operations. Railroad companies have pushed in the other direction, citing automation, technology, and cost savings as reasons to operate with a single […]
Do You Need an Accident Report to File a FELA Claim?
Railroad work is dangerous, and injuries happen fast. In the chaos that follows a workplace accident, filing an incident report isn’t always the first thing on a hurt worker’s mind. Sometimes the injury doesn’t seem serious at the moment. Sometimes a supervisor brushes it off. Sometimes the pain doesn’t really set in until hours or days later, after the shift […]