The railroad system in the United States includes over 600 railroads, over 200,000 miles of track, 1,200,000 freight cars and 20,000 locomotives. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, each year there are approximately 3,000 train accidents in the U.S. and about 1000 people lose their lives. In addition to the catastrophic injury and loss of life attributed to railroad collisions, there is the ever increasing concern to the environment due to hazardous spills.

The National Transportation Safety Board indicates that 60% of all crossing fatalities occur at unprotected crossings and that approximately 80% of all public railroad crossings are not protected by lights and safety gates. The most common types of railroad accidents are collisions with other trains, derailment, collisions with passenger vehicles, improperly maintained tracks, mechanical failure and driver inexperience and fatigue.

Unlike employees in other fields, railroad workers are not covered by traditional workers' compensation plans. Instead, they are covered by the Federal Employees Liability Act (FELA), which was created in 1908 in an attempt to reduce the number of railroad-related injuries and to protect workers. FELA gives injured railroad workers the right to sue their employer in cases of negligence (even if the employer is only partially responsible for the employee's injury. If you are an injured railroad employee, you may be entitled to compensation under FELA. We can help you with your case. Please contact us today .