railroad worker with train

When a railroad worker is injured while working or gets cancer from railroad exposures to diesel fumes, asbestos or other toxins, railroad families have several questions, including: What compensation is available?

Railroad workers generally do not get benefits under state workers’ compensation laws. However, workers or their families, may bring claims under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) for injuries or diseases that could have been caused by railroad work. The FELA is a federal law that compensates workers who live in any state and have worked for just about any railroad. Workers and their families can recover money for lost wages and medical expenses, as well as for pain and suffering. When a railroad worker dies from railroad injuries or cancer, the family can also recover for these damages.

When injuries or work-related disease happens, families also want to know: What are the time limits? The FELA does carry with it a strict statute of limitations. Claims must be brought or lawsuits filed within three years of the date a railroad employee knows or should have known of his injury or disease and its cause. The failure to follow these deadlines could extinguish any right to compensation. This time frame can be very legally technical. If there is any question at all about these time limits, you should contact an experienced FELA attorney.

Most importantly, when a railroad worker gets cancer, families want to know: Where are the best places to get the most up-to-date cancer treatment? There are many top cancer centers around the country. There is probably one somewhere near you. MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, NY, Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN are among the top cancer centers in the nation. But here are many others. If you or a family member should get cancer from railroad work, you can find a top cancer center near you.

There are many other questions we are often asked. For example, is compensation for cancer available even if the railroad worker was a smoker? Is compensation available even if the railroad worker has not worked for many years? Is compensation available even if the worker has already settled a case? Is compensation available even if the railroad worker has died? The short answer to all of these questions is generally YES. We will answer these in more detail in a future blog. But if f you, or a family member or friend, is a railroad worker and have questions about railroad injuries or railroad-related cancers, call us today at 1-800-374-2144 for more information. You should not delay and our answers are always free.