Pennsylvania Trackman Injury Lawyer

Workers who spend their shifts building, inspecting, maintaining, and repairing railroad ties and tracks play a crucial role in every railyard. Unfortunately, like other types of workers, railroad trackmen have an especially high risk of suffering on-the-job injuries and illnesses compared to people who work in most other industries. If you were hurt in an accident at work or contracted a serious illness because of unreasonably hazardous working conditions while employed as a railroad trackman, the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) may allow you to recover substantial compensation from your employer with a qualified train injury attorney’s help. To give yourself the best chances of a favorable result to your claim, you should strongly consider speaking with a Pennsylvania trackman injury lawyer as soon as possible after discovering the injury.

Causes and Effects of Railroad Trackman Injuries

Like anyone else who works in construction or performs similar tasks at their job, railroad trackmen are often expected to move heavy materials, manipulate various tools and pieces of heavy machinery, and ensure they have proper safety equipment on and follow their training to minimize the risk of an accident. Even when an individual trackman acts responsibly, they may still be at risk of getting hurt due to negligence by another worker, an equipment manufacturer, a supplier, or even their employer.

In addition, working around locomotives and inside railyards often results in workers being exposed to all manner of harmful chemicals, fumes, and carcinogenic substances. Most notably, this includes diesel exhaust and asbestos. Over time, continued inhalation or contact with these dangerous materials can result in severe long-term health complications, especially if railroad companies do not fulfill their duty to provide the safest possible working conditions for their employees.

Fortunately, any trackman who can connect a job-related injury or illness directly to some form of negligence by their employer could potentially hold that employer liable for ensuing damages under FELA. A Pennsylvania trackman injury attorney could go over in detail what circumstances could justify a claim during a confidential consultation.

Recovering Compensation Under FELA

FELA claimants must show that some form of negligence by their employer directly contributed to or caused their damages in order to recover compensation. Because of this, not every accident that impacts a railroad trackman in Pennsylvania necessarily warrants a claim. However, since railroad employers are not held automatically liable for certain work-related damages like other companies under workers’ compensation laws, companies that negligently violate FELA regulations may bear liability for all forms of harm their misconduct produces.

Recoverable damages in FELA litigation may be either economic or non-economic in nature, meaning they could have objective financial values or could be subjectively valuated based on an individual claimant’s experiences. Through a successful claim, a trackman accident lawyer in Pennsylvania could work on an injured or ill worker’s behalf to recover damages. These damages can include medical expenses, lost income, lost earning capacity, physical and psychological pain, and lost enjoyment of life.

Learn More by Meeting with a Pennsylvania Trackman Injury Attorney

Railroad trackmen take on a significant risk of injury every time they clock into work. Sometimes the impacts of this kind of work can persist for years after they change careers or retire. Even if you no longer work for a negligent railroad company, you may still be able to hold them accountable for any injuries, illnesses, and subsequent losses their recklessness or carelessness caused.

A Pennsylvania trackman injury lawyer could discuss your options and offer clarification about next steps during an initial consultation. Call today to schedule yours.