Among the various roles that workers in railyards and aboard trains can fill, few are more consistently dangerous than those filled by professional metalworkers and pipefitters. Whether their daily tasks involve assembling and soldering pipe systems, operating pipe threading machines, connecting and disconnecting active systems, or working on locomotive or track equipment systems, pipefitters have an especially high risk of on-the-job injuries from workplace accidents. Anyone who gets hurt while working as a direct consequence of a railroad employer’s negligence may have grounds to seek restitution under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). This is somewhat different from a traditional workers’ compensation plan. However, when it comes to recovering comprehensively for railroad pipefitter injuries in Ohio, there is no substitute for representation from a skilled railroad injury attorney who has handled similar cases successfully before.
Depending on the exact tasks they are performing, railroad pipefitters may sustain various types of injuries through accidents in Ohio railyards. On a basic level, anyone who uses a welding torch, operates metalworking machinery, or works around highly compressed and/or hazardous materials without appropriate training and functional safety equipment has a high risk of sustaining serious harm. This is in large part due to their employer’s negligence in failing to train them or give them proper safety equipment.
In addition, pipefitters who work on elevated platforms or above-ground pipe systems could sustain injury from slips and falls, or from the sudden failure of improperly constructed scaffolding. Even a single missing marker for an electrical or fire hazard could have dire consequences if it leads to a pipefitter working in an inherently unsafe way.
Any of these circumstances or similar ones could justify a FELA claim if they lead to an injury requiring professional medical care, such as:
A qualified FELA attorney could cover potential justifications for litigation in detail during a private initial meeting.
The work that railroad workers perform is especially hazardous even with appropriate safety measures and protective gear. As a result, train workers across the nation are covered in the event of a workplace accident by special federal legislation, rather than by workers’ compensation insurance governed by state law. Under FELA, injured workers who can prove their employer’s negligence contributed in any way to their work-related injury or illness could recover for all past and future damages they sustain.
Notably, this covers more than just medical expenses. The full value of lost wages and/or earning capacity, physical pain, emotional trauma, and lost enjoyment of life, among other losses, can also be recovered. Once again, knowledgeable legal counsel could be a huge help when it comes to identifying recoverable damages and seeking fair compensation for railroad pipefitter injuries in Ohio.
Although they work under dangerous conditions every day, railroad pipefitters still often have a difficult time seeking fair financial recovery after an accident on the job. Despite the rules that were set out by FELA, railroad companies are still generally hesitant to pay out even on valid claims. If a claimant does not have tenacious legal representation on their side, their odds of success diminish.
A lawyer could prove crucial in effectively recovering compensation for railroad pipefitter injuries in Ohio. Learn more by calling our law firm today.
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