RAILROAD WHISTLEBLOWER/FRSA:

WE REPRESENT VICTIMS AND FAMILIES INJURED IN RAILROAD ACCIDENTS

Railroad Accidents/FELA

Railroad workers take risks every day to ensure passengers and cargo get to their destinations quickly and efficiently. A serious injury sustained while working on the railroad can have life-changing consequences. You may be unable to work or care for loved ones even as the medical bills are piling up. Or you may have lost a loved one in a fatal railroad accident.

What is FELA?

The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) is a federal law giving railroad employees and their families the right to sue railroad employers for damages (financial compensation) when the worker is injured or killed on the job. In most industries, workers who are hurt on the job cannot sue their employers; rather, their injuries are covered under workers’ compensation. Most United States railroad workers are not covered by state workers’ compensation.  Instead, FELA provides a cause of action for damages for injuries or death caused by the negligence of railroad carriers engaging in interstate or foreign commerce.

FELA supersedes common law and state laws that cover the liability of railroads for injuries to employees who work in interstate commerce. If you are a railroad employee who was injured on the job or if a family member died while working for a common carrier by railroad, you may have a claim for damages under FELA. The FELA provisions often make it easier to prove liability than in ordinary accident cases such as car accidents. If the railroad violated a safety statute or regulation, FELA reduces the burden of proof for ordinary negligence.

You can file a FELA case in either state or federal court, and the defense generally cannot move the case to federal court if you choose to file in state court.

How do FELA cases work?

FELA applies to reasonably foreseeable injuries due to a railroad’s negligence. To establish a claim under FELA, the plaintiff must show that:

  • An injury occurred while he or she was working within the scope of his or her employment with a railroad;
  • The plaintiff’s employment furthered the railroad’s interstate transportation business;
  • The railroad was negligent; and
  • The railroad’s negligence played some role – no matter how small – in causing the plaintiff’s injury.

Under FELA, the railroad has a duty to provide employees with a reasonably safe workplace. This is considered a non-delegable duty, which means the railroad cannot shift responsibility. However, proving that a railroad has breached this duty of care can be difficult. Some of the responsibilities that railroads must meet are:

  • Provide a reasonably safe workplace that is free from unsafe conditions;
  • Warn of unsafe conditions and hazards;
  • Exercise reasonable care for the safety of employees;
  • Provide reasonably safe tools and equipment, as well as safety devices;
  • Select proper and safe methods to do work;
  • Furnish enough help to get work done safely;
  • Inspect the workplace for safety hazards;
  • Adopt and enforce safety rules and practices;
  • Provide adequate training and education;
  • Provide adequate supervision;
  • Fix unsafe conditions; and
  • Assign workers tasks that are within their capabilities.

Negligence can be found when a rule or law has been broken, or when the railroad failed to meet a reasonable standard of care. Breaking a rule or law might include violating the Federal Railroad Administration regulations, or an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation.

What Damages Are Available Under FELA?

Injured workers in most industries are only entitled to lost wages and medical bills – the benefits they can collect through workers’ compensation. FELA gives railroad workers the right to additional compensation. This may include:

  • Loss of earnings, past and future.
  • Reasonable and necessary medical expenses.
  • Pain & suffering.
  • Mental anguish
  • Physical impairment.
  • Loss of companionship and society

The stakes are high in FELA cases, and the railroad companies often do everything they can to fight back. They have extensive resources and well-paid attorneys on their side. That’s why you deserve your own legal advocate to even the odds. That’s why you deserve Moyers Law and Kohn Law.

Personal injury cases under FELA are complex, and it takes an experienced railroad accident attorney to go up against the railroad companies. That’s where we come in. If you or a loved one was hurt on the railroad, we would be honored to speak with you. Contact us online or call 406-655-4900 or 763-259-3686.

RAILROAD WHISTLEBLOWER/FRSA:

Railroad workers who are wrongfully terminated or disciplined are covered under the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA). The FRSA is a strong law that provides relief and damages for railroad workers who suffer retaliation for injuries, safety concerns, or when railroad managers and its medical department personnel deny, delay, or interfere with the course of the employee’s medical treatment or for following a treating doctor’s orders or treatment plan.

Some of the examples of what you can recoup as losses under the FRSA are:

  • To avoid and expunge your discipline
  • To reinstate you with all seniority and benefits unimpaired
  • To pay you back wages with interest
  • To pay for all your economic losses
  • To pay unlimited emotional distress damages
  • To pay punitive damages up to $250,000
  • To pay your attorney’s fees and costs

Deadline to File is Only 180 Days

The window for filing a FRSA complaint with OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Directorate is only 180 days. That means railroad workers only have 180 days to file from the date the worker knew or should have known the railroad decided to take an adverse action against them.

If you believe a railroad has retaliated against you for reporting an injury, reporting an unsafe condition, or for following the treatment plan of your doctor (“protected activities”), contact us as soon as possible so we can determine if you have an FRSA claim and if so how best to protect your rights.

Call Us

Minneapolis

P.O. Box 390074
Minneapolis, MN 55439

Billings

3936 Ave. B, Suite D.
Billings, MT 59102

This page may contain a summary of the law or individual cases, but no content may be considered legal advice.  Contact us to discuss the specifics of your case.

Call Us

Minneapolis

P.O. Box 390074
Minneapolis, MN 55439

Billings

3936 Ave. B, Suite D.
Billings, MT 59102

This page may contain a summary of the law or individual cases, but no content may be considered legal advice.  Contact us to discuss the specifics of your case.