The Federal Employer’s Liability Act (FELA) is a federal law that provides injured railroad employees a mechanism to seek compensation from their employers. The FELA enforces a stringent liability law on railroads for their employees’ injuries. Workers’ Compensation Claim and FELA Compensation under FELA covers diseases and repetitive stress damage, apart from personal injuries in work-related accidents. As with workers’ […]
I Am Suing My Railroad Employer. Where Will My FELA Claim Take Place?
I Am Filing a FELA Claim Against My Railroad Employer. How Long Will It Take For My Claim to Be Resolved?
The nature of their work exposes the railroad workers to heavy machinery, equipment, and chemicals that can be life-threatening and life-altering. The Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) law which provides insurance cover to the railroad workers is different from the regular workers’ compensation insurance. A FELA claim needs proof of negligence on the part of the employer, unlike a workers’ […]
FELA and Asbestos Disease Claims
The Federal Employer’s Act (FELA) was enacted by Congress in 1908 to protect and compensate railroad workers injured on the job when the railroad is at least partially negligent in causing the worker’s injuries. FELA is not a workers’ compensation act but is instead fault-based. The injured employee must prove their injury was caused completely or partly by the negligence […]
Is a Railroad Employee Protected by The FELA Only When They Clock In?
Railroad workers across the country expose themselves to the perils and hazards of their job every day. Railroad employees who are victims of an accident at work, whether in a railyard, on a track, or in an office, can take recourse in FELA to claim compensation for their injuries. FELA applies in all cases where the employee works for a […]
A Contractor For My Railroad Caused My Injury. Does The FELA Statute Still Apply?
Contract work is widely pervasive on a railroad, be it tree trimming, snow plowing, or crew transport. Contractors on a railroad are an unavoidable necessity. With the railroad outsourcing much of its work, the worksites inevitably will have some workers who are not very well-versed with the railroad work method. And when many of these people are working together, the […]
An Overview of a FELA Injury Lawsuit
Railroad workers who are injured on the job as a result of their employer’s negligence have the right to file a Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) lawsuit and recover damages. FELA was enacted in 1908 to ensure that railroaders who suffer work-related injuries are adequately compensated by their employers. For well over 100 years, FELA has offered a path for […]
Common Injuries Suffered in a Railroad Work Environment
It is well known that the risk of work-related injuries is present in several different occupations. In some occupations, however, the risk is more prominent compared to others. Railroad work is one such occupation where workers face a wide range of safety hazards. Due to the nature of the work they do and the fact that they work with heavy […]
Understanding the Impact of Coworker Negligence on Your FELA Claim
One of the unique aspects of the protections the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) provides employees may recover under the Act for injuries caused by their fellow employees. A railroad is responsible for injuries to an employee if the negligence of the railroad contributes “even in the slightest” to the cause of the injury. There is a litany of duties […]
Filing a FELA Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Despite continued calls for railroad safety, railroad workers continue to perform their jobs in often dangerous conditions. These conditions frequently result in serious injuries to workers and even more tragically, their deaths. Last year alone, there were more than 25 railroad workers killed while on the job. Whenever a railroad employee is injured, any compensation is covered under the Federal […]
Why You Need an Experienced Railroad Derailment Lawyer When You Suffer Injuries or Lung Damage From a Train Wreck
No one can feel completely safe when a train goes off the tracks. “Train wreck” did not become shorthand for a disastrous situation for no reason. As Virginia-based railroad injury lawyers for going on 40 years, we have seen firsthand some of the worst results from train derailments. We helped several victims of the Norfolk Southern chemical train crash in […]