Your Railroad Employee Accident Lawyer

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Railroad Employee Accident Attorney

Railroad Employee Injury Claims

Foley & Small represents railroad employees who are injured while working on the job. Foley & Small has represented injured railroad workers involved in a variety of different accidents. Railroad employment settings are many and varied, and include freight conductors, engineers, inspectors, longshoremen, train dispatchers, diesel mechanics, electricians, signal worker and maintainer, linemen, carman, boilermakers, utility workers, heavy equipment operators, sheet metal workers, pipefitters to name just a few.

Foley & Small works with railroad experts, accident reconstructionists, engineers and other experts to investigate an at work injury and to reconstruct the chain of events that led to the incident. Foley & Small works with medical providers and specialists on pay and other economic losses to develop the injury/loss portion of a railroad accident injury claim.

Why Foley & Small?

1. Experience

Our Attorneys each have 30+ years in the practice of law.

2. Respect

Our Attorneys each have the highest rating from their peers.

3. Success

We have a history of successful jury trials and maximizing settlements.

4. Caring

We do not handle thousands of cases, but a select few; providing our clients with individualized attention assisted by a kind and caring staff.

Federal Employer’s Liability Act and Railroad Employee Injury Claims

When a railroad worker is injured, his or her claim is governed by a federal statute known as the Federal Employer’s Liability Act, often referred to as FELA. FELA was enacted in 1908 due to a public outcry arising from the number of railroad workers suffering injuries, especially when such injuries often were severe if not fatal. In nearly every other context, when an employee is injured at work, his or her claim is governed by the worker’s compensation laws of the state where the injury occurred. Such is not the case with railroad employee accident claims, which are governed by FELA. The great benefit to railroad workers under FELA, as opposed to an ordinary worker compensation claim, is that recoveries under FELA are typically far greater than that available under state worker’s compensation laws.

To successfully assert a FELA claim, the railroad employee must prove some negligence on the part of the railroad causing the incident giving rise to injuries. Fortunately, the amount of negligence to be shown by the railroad is slight. The basic test is whether the railroad failed to provide a reasonably safe work place.

An employee must bring a claim under FELA within three years of the date of injury, though there are some special circumstances which can alter that time period. As a result, it is recommended that the injured railroad employee contact an experienced FELA/railroad employee accident attorney soon after injuries have been suffered.

After a railroad employee suffers an at work injury, he or she must complete a written personal injury report. It is important that the report be completed accurately. In addition, the unsafe or unreasonable work condition causing the incident should be identified.

Railroad employees cannot be harassed or intimidated by the railroad when filing an injury report. The Federal Railroad Administration has issued regulations prohibiting such harassing or intimidating tactics. Railroads are required to adopt an Internal Control Plan. The plan must provide that no railroad official is to harass or intimidate so to prevent or discourage an injured railroad employee from receiving proper medical treatment or from reporting, accurately, a railroad accident, injury or illness. In addition, the plan is to call for disciplinary action against any railroad official who commits acts of harassment or intimidation.

Get in touch.

If you are someone you know is a railroad worker who has suffered injuries while working on the job, contact Foley & Small. We have the experience and expertise to properly develop and present a railroad employee injury claim and obtain a maximum recovery for the injured railroad employee and his or her family.

Let's Discuss Your Case Today.

 

 

We want to hear from you and discuss how we can help. Remember, working with Foley & Small is like having a lawyer in your family.

 

  • We only get paid if we recover for you.

  • We have an entire team ready to work for you.

  • We want to help you in any way we can, including with medical bills and insurance issues.

We are ready to help in any of the following areas:

Serving communities in
Indiana and Michigan
for over 30 years.

Foley & Small handles and tries cases across Indiana and Michigan.
This includes working in the following counties, county seats, and cities:

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Foley & Small
1002 E. Jefferson Blvd.
South Bend, IN 46617