FELA Attorneys

FELA Injuries - They Can Occur in All Sorts of Ways

Unless you work or have something to do with a railroad, you may have never heard of FELA, which stands for Federal Employers Liability Act. It was passed nearly 100 years ago, in 1908, by Congress, and it's stood the test of time since then. The law has been an important one for railroad workers and for employers for many reasons, as it's provided a uniform standard of liability that allows everyone to better understand who's responsible for what when injuries do occur in this context. Below is a look at the different situations in which an injury can occur that could give rise to FELA jurisdiction, and there are many in number.

Train Accidents

This is clearly the most obvious situation in which FELA can be relevant, as train accidents are extremely hazardous. Engineers can be seriously injured or killed instantly when items of that size and weight either collide or run off the tracks, and FELA will protect those who suffer as a result of train accidents. However, FELA only protects those railroad workers who are injured in a crash, and not innocent bystanders.

In the Rail Yard

There is a lot of heavy, physical manual labor that goes on in a typical rail yard, and these activities are inherently dangerous. Workers need to load the cars with heavy equipment and sometimes supervise the loading of hazardous materials, and they also need to stack the cars so that they're connected properly in order to ensure that there are no catastrophes once the train is moving.

In the Office

This may seem rather obscure, but FELA protects railroad workers while they're on the job, and that doesn't just mean while they're out hauling cargo or stacking cars. Railroad workers can be injured simply by falling in the office, and this too would give rise to FELA protection.

On the Railroad

Obviously, trains need sturdy railroads on which to travel in order to ensure that they don't run off the tracks. Thousands of miles of railroad tracks need to be maintained throughout the United States, and every railroad tie can weigh hundreds of pounds. Working with these materials can cause long-term damage in several areas of the body, and FELA is once again the protector of the workers.

Overall

Of course, these are only a few examples of when a railroad worker can be injured. If you have suffered as a result of working on a railroad, contact a FELA lawyer at Williams Kherkher to schedule a free initial consultation.