Railroad Worker Injuries & FELA

Attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP understand FELA cases & help railroad employees recover just compensation for injuries.

Reports from the Office of Safety within the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reveal that, over the past 10 years, 113,354 railroad related accidents/incidents have taken place. Of that total number of incidents, there have been 6,989 fatalities and 77,705 non-fatal conditions involving railroad employees.

At a hearing in October of 2007, the U.S. Congressional Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure heard testimony that, from 2002 through 2004, the FRA investigated less than two-tenths of one percent of all incidents involving railroads. This means that railroad workers operate in a dangerous environment and can't rely solely on the Federal government to adequately investigate and enforce existing regulations. A key railroad regulation is the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). FELA requires every railroad common carrier in the US to be liable to any employee suffering injury, but workers must prove that the railroad company was negligent when accidents and injuries occurred.

It's also important know that railroad workers are not covered by the typical state workers compensation scheme.  The benefits provided to railroad workers are governed by FELA and overseen by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).  The RRB is a federal agency that administers the benefits provided for in the Railroad Retirement Act which include retirement and disability annuities for qualified railroad employees, spouses and survivors for the families of deceased employees insured under the Act.  Unemployment sickness insurance payments are also available through the RRB. 

Railroad employees who have been injured on the job should seek qualified legal counsel to insure that their claims are accurately investigated and they receive the judgments they deserve. Arnold & Itkin LLP have successfully represented victims injured in railroad accidents. Our goal is to build a strong and persuasive case as quickly as possible.

For a free consultation, contact a railroad injury attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP by calling toll free (866)222-2606 or by submitting the form at the top of this page.

Contact a Lawyer

First Name Last Name Email Address Phone Number Comments