Railroad Injury/FELA Archives - Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp
Select A Category

What is FELA and what kind of cases does it cover?

The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) is a crucial federal law enacted in 1908 in the United States. FELA serves as a vital legal framework that protects the rights and interests of railroad workers, providing them with compensation and legal recourse in cases of injury or illness resulting from their work. This act was a…

read more

What types of injuries will a Virginia (VA) railroad injury lawyer attempt to recover damages for?

Railroad work is inherently dangerous and has produced countless railroad accidents, injuries and illnesses in and around Virginia. Common VA railroad injuries include, but are not limited to

Back and neck injuries
Bone fractures
Burns
Cancer
Chemical and asbestos exposure
Crushing injuries
Diesel exhaust fume exposure
Electrocution
Exposure to toxic solvents
Hearing loss
Injuries due to heavy lifting
Knee injuries
Limb amputation
Mesothelioma
Repetitive motion disorders
Shoulder injuries
Slip and fall or trip and fall
Traumatic brain injury
Other injuries from heavy machinery

Learn more: As Virginia and Carolina attorneys specializing in FELA and railroad injury law, we offer hundreds of pages of information to help you learn your rights and recover compensation if you’ve been hurt on the job, riding trains or crossing rail tracks. You may find our list “What Not to Do After a Railroad Accident” especially helpful.

read more

What Types of Monetary Damages Are Recoverable Via a FELA Injury, Wrongful Death or Occupational Injury Claim?

In a FELA, or Federal Employers’ Liability Act, case, Virginia railroad injury victims should attempt to recover the following:

Past and future medical expenses, including hospitalization expenses.
Past and future lost wages.
Past and future pain and mental suffering compensation.
Past and future disability and loss of earning capacity.
Permanent injury, deformity or disfigurement compensation.

Keep in mind that recovery under FELA is granted instead of recovery under state workers’ compensation laws, and recovery is not permitted for both FELA and workers’ compensation. FELA allows financial recovery for pain and suffering, with the amount being decided by a jury based on comparative negligence, rather than according to a predetermined benefits schedule, such as that used in ordinary workers’ compensation cases.
Learn more: As Virginia and Carolina attorneys specializing in FELA and railroad injury law, we offer hundreds of pages of information to help you learn your rights and recover compensation if you’ve been hurt on the job, riding trains or crossing rail tracks. You may find our list “What Not to Do After a Railroad Accident” especially helpful.

read more