The railroad industry is one of the most dangerous fields of work in the U.S. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, the fatality rate for railroad workers has been double and sometimes even triple the rate of fatalities of other professions over the past several decades. Many of the casualties did not occur on trains but instead happened in the rail yard.
FELA, or the Federal Employers Liability Act, is a federal law which was created to cover railroad injuries, since railroad workers were at a much higher risk of injury than other workers. FELA is a program which is similar to workers’ compensation, but it is only paid by employers in the railroad industry and it pays out differently then most workers’ compensation programs. Under FELA, the injured worker must be proven to be negligent, at least in part. FELA typically pays out larger awards than workers’ compensation and can include money for punitive damages and pain and suffering.
When an accident occurs at a rail yard, the injured employee should hire an experienced FELA attorney to help, since the employee must be able to prove that the employer was at least partially responsible for the accident. There are very specific rules and regulations that pertain to FELA cases which can make them complex and best handled by an experienced attorney.
If you have been injured in an accident at a rail yard, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles personal injury attorney, at 310-385-0567. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.