Category Archives: Railroad
Railroad Employees Say Union Pacific Violated FELA
Employees who say Union Pacific Railroad violated the provisions of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) recently initiated two complaints against the company. On December 27, 2017, a Union Pacific Railroad Co. worker filed a complaint alleging that on January 1, 2017, he was injured when the traction motor on the locomotive and train… Read More »
What’s the Difference Between FELA and Workers’ Compensation?
Are FELA and Workers’ Compensation the Same Thing? When an employee is hurt at work, most people immediately assume that they will file for workers’ compensation benefits. But for railroaders, this is not true. The Federal Employees Liability Act (FELA) provides special protection to railroad employees who are injured on the job. What is… Read More »
Experts Say Following Safety Procedures Would Have Saved Two Rail Workers Lives
Working for a railroad is an inherently dangerous job, but transportation safety officials, national lawmakers, and railroad experts all agree that following safety procedures could have prevented the deaths of two rail workers and the injuries of 39 passengers resulting from a 2016 Amtrak train crash. According to the Chairman of the National Transportation… Read More »
SCOTUS: State Courts Don’t Have Jurisdiction Over Out-of-State Railroads
In June 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a Montana court’s ruling that BNSF Railway employees could file an injury lawsuit against the company in Montana, even though they had never worked there and were injured elsewhere. The Supreme Court ruled that state courts don’t have jurisdiction over a railroad company headquartered elsewhere simply… Read More »
Safety Becoming an Issue for CSX Transportation?
Safety Becoming an Issue for CSX Transportation? A CSX Transportation employee lost an arm when he was hit by a moving rail car while working on another train at Radnor Yard in Nashville, Tennessee during the August 21 solar eclipse. After the accident, other employees frantically called for help and the dispatcher tried calling… Read More »
Railroads Have Duty to Protect Employees From Cumulative Injuries
Railroads Have Duty to Protect Employees From Cumulative Injuries Railroad work is known for being dangerous, and workers commonly suffer serious injuries than can end their careers and even their lives. While railroad employees have a duty to be careful and protect themselves on the job, their employers owe them an important duty: to… Read More »
Injured Railroad Workers Must Prove Negligence to Obtain FELA Compensation
Injured Railroad Workers Must Prove Negligence to Obtain FELA Compensation According to the Railroad Workers United, the public has little or no idea what goes on daily on America’s railroads, where chronic fatigue, single-employee crews, excessively long and heavy trains, short staffing, and limited time off create an extremely unsafe work environment. Between 1889… Read More »
OSHA Fines Amsted Rail $610,034 for Safety Violations
OSHA Fines Amsted Rail $610,034 for Safety Violations Chicago-based Amsted Rail was slapped with a hefty fine last month after federal investigators found that the company had subjected workers at its Groveport, OH facility to numerous health and safety violations. The penalty, which exceeded $600,000, was the largest in Ohio so far this year,… Read More »
Hearing Loss Common Injury Among Railroad Workers
Hearing Loss Common Injury Among Railroad Workers Anyone who has sat at a railroad crossing waiting for a train to pass has no doubt noticed a large amount of noise associated with trains. For railroad workers, this noise is not merely an occasional annoyance, but an occupational hazard that can lead to severe hearing… Read More »