Train & Railroad Accidents and Railroad Employees

Due to the proliferation of the automobile and the expansion of airline routes and airline availability, the railroad industry has suffered significant losses in both the amount of commuters and transportation of goods and materials. The average person would think that injuries and fatalities related to trains and railroads would remain at almost a constant low. That person would be wrong.

Every year hundreds of people die, are injured, or are exposed to debilitating chemicals while working within this industry. Now that the industry has increased its commuter services due to advances in technology, the threat of derailments, crashes, and other types of accidents rise as well.

Causes of Accidents

There are many different ways an accident can occur, but some of the more common ways an accident occurs is due to human error, defective tracks, broken or wrong signaling, or train equipment malfunction.

Railroad Employee Matters

Many workers who have been injured or exposed to harmful chemicals are unaware of the rights they have under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). FELA permits the use of legal services for railroad employees in matters that require medical expenses, physical or emotional pain and suffering due to an accident or injury, or other matters involving temporary or permanent loss in the body's normal functions. Of course, like any lawsuit, there must be significant indications that the employer was aware of a likely threat, violated specific federal regulations, or could have prevented the damage done to the victim. In cases where a vehicle illegally passes a railroad crossing and causes a wreck, he or she is at fault.

Common physical injuries that railroad employees receive are central to the spine, shoulders, knees, back, and neck. Additional ailments include exposure to asbestos, development of lung cancer, liver disease, liver cancer, and bronchitis. Some employees must be treated with emotional therapy after he or she has witnessed or gone through an accident.

Compensation for damages, whether punitive or compensatory, are dependent on the type of accident and other factors involved with the accident. If the victim lost his or her life in an accident, there are legal authorities that will work to obtain compensation for the family of the victim.

There are many steps involved with the healing process that hopefully occurs immediately after the accident. For additional resources on treatments available and to find out more about employee rights, compensation, and benefits, contact the Las Vegas personal injury lawyers of William Palmer & Associates, P.C. today.

Joseph Devine

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