Working around locomotives, near railroad tracks, or in a railyard is a fundamentally hazardous job. Railcars and train engines roll along tracks on steel wheels and are incredibly clumsy and heavy. On a daily basis, railway workers are exposed to multiple dangers, some of which could potentially cause severe and even fatal injuries. If you were injured while you were […]
What Are the Most Common Railroad Worker Injuries?
Is the Railroad Staffing Shortage Affecting Worker Safety?
All across the United States, staffing shortages are crippling major industries. The problem is especially critical on the railroads where indications of a strike nearly shut down services and paralyzed the economy. These worker shortages are not good for safety or for business on railroads where current conditions already have employees stretched to their breaking point. In September, a standoff […]
Are You a Railroad Worker Injured on the Job?
The recent Railroad Safety Week recognized across the country is focused on educating the public about making safe decisions around trains and railroad tracks and other rail safety education. According to national statistics, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every three hours in this country. More than 2,100 victims are killed in crossing incidents each year, with […]
Do I Need a Virginia FELA Lawyer?
Railroad workers face dangers on a daily basis that can cause severe injuries or due because of long-term exposure. When a worker has been injured or diagnosed with a railroad-related disease, it is critical to contact a Virginia railroad attorney to find out what the best legal options they have are. Once a case is filed, the injured railroad worker […]
Does Cigarette Smoking Have an Impact on a FELA Claim?
Over the past several decades, there have been multiple studies that have confirmed that the conditions that railroad workers are forced to work in can cause them to develop cancer. One of the main causes of workers’ cancers is their exposure to asbestos, but there are also cancers that develop because of the silica dust and solvents that are present […]
FELA Lawsuit Depositions
If you are a railroad worker who suffered a work-related injury or developed an illness like mesothelioma from exposures to asbestos or other dangerous substances on the job, you have the right to seek compensation for medical expenses and other damages you have suffered because of your employers’ failure to protect your health and safety. This right was granted to […]
Virginia FELA Attorney: Railroad Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuits
A recent ruling by a federal judge could benefit many asbestos disease victims and their families who file mesothelioma cancer lawsuits, allowing the plaintiff’s attorneys to call four expert witnesses to help prove liability. The asbestos cancer lawsuit was filed by the wife of a man who developed the rare and lethal form of asbestos inducted mesothelioma cancer. In the […]
Misdiagnosing Asbestosis as Chronic Heart Failure
Our Virginia personal injury law firm has written extensively about the extensive asbestos exposure railroad workers had for decades until the use of asbestos was replaced by other insulation materials. Asbestos was used in brakes, boilers, gaskets, pipes, and other materials and equipment, exposing workers to asbestos fibers on a daily basis. Although asbestos is no longer being used, the […]
How Often Is Asbestosis Misdiagnosed as Chronic Bronchitis?
It has been well documented – and proven in courtroom after courtroom – that breathing in asbestos fibers leads to the development of asbestosis. Asbestosis is long-term inflammation and scarring of the lungs that is caused by breathing in asbestos fibers. Prolonged exposure to these fibers can cause lung tissue scarring, shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest tightness. Complications […]
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 […]