Most people don’t think about what they’re breathing at work. You show up, you do your job, you go home. But for railroad workers, truckers, dock workers, and miners, the air around them every single day contains something far more dangerous than most of their employers want to acknowledge: diesel exhaust. This isn’t a fringe concern. It’s backed by decades […]

When a railroad worker develops chronic pain, numbness, or weakness that worsens over time, a skilled FELA attorney immediately looks beyond a single accident and evaluates whether the condition may be a repetitive stress injury. At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, our FELA lawyers have represented railroad workers nationwide who suffer from cumulative trauma and overuse injuries caused by years of […]

When a railroad worker is injured on the job or develops a serious occupational illness, the legal path forward is very different from that of most other employees. An experienced FELA attorney understands that railroad injury claims are governed not by state workers’ compensation systems, but by a powerful federal law known as the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). At […]

Railroad employees face some of the most dangerous working conditions in the country. When injuries or fatalities occur, railroad workers are protected by a federal law known as the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). One of the most common questions injured railroad workers and their families ask is: Are there damage limitations in FELA claims? The short answer is no […]

Railroad switching operations are among the most dangerous tasks performed by rail employees. Engineers, conductors, switchmen, brakemen, and track workers are routinely required to work on the ground, between moving railcars, and alongside active locomotives, often with little physical protection. In Virginia’s busy freight corridors, ports, rail yards, and industrial spurs, switching work places railroad employees in constant proximity to […]

Train engines, freight cars, grueling conditions, dangerous obstacles, and heavy machinery create substantial dangers for those who earn a living on railroads. Railroad employees are, fortunately, protected by an important federal statute, the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. If you are a railroad worker who was injured on the job, you need to work with an experienced Norfolk FELA lawyer who […]

If you sustained an injury as a railroad worker, documenting every single detail of the incident is essential for building a strong case. Whether the injury was the result of long-term exposure to harmful chemicals, hazardous working environments, or a serious accident, the way you choose to document the claim will play a significant part in the outcome. Appropriate documentation […]

Our Virginia-based FELA law firm has collected an extensive archive of documents showing that leaders in the railroad industry possessed significant knowledge about the dangers of asbestos as early as the 1920s. Doctors who were employed and consulted by rail corporations openly discussed the link between occupational exposures to asbestos and deadly diseases during annual conferences. Written recommendations to spray […]

Since the early 1800s, the railroad industry has been a critical part of our country’s development and growth, making coast-to-coast transportation of people, goods, and supplies possible. While railroads are vital to both travel and commerce, their substantial size and speed pose considerable risks to employees. Additionally, railway employees are frequently exposed to hazardous working conditions, including toxic chemicals and […]

Virginia has rich history in railroading and it is historically an area where there are also many railroad injury lawyers. Norfolk & Western Railway Company, now Norfolk Southern, has been based in Norfolk, Virginia for many years and our law office is a mere 20 minutes away. Also, CSX Transportation, which was previously Atlantic Coastline, and Seaboard and also merged […]