The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) plays a key role in protecting railroad workers. Those injured on the job due to their work responsibilities may have the right to request compensation for both their medical expenses and the income they cannot earn recovering from their injuries.
In cases where injuries are severe enough to force a worker to change professions or to prevent them from returning to gainful full-time employment, FELA can help offset the loss of their income in addition to paying for any necessary medical care. For those working on railroads, either as maintenance professionals or as crew members operating trains, regular exposure to high-intensity vibrations could theoretically cause lasting damage.
Vibrations affect health and job performance
Vibration injuries can cause a variety of different medical complications. Railroad workers are at risk of experiencing whole-body vibrations that cause lasting cumulative trauma. Peripheral nerve damage is a common issue, and workers may experience numbness and a loss of motor function.
Railroad workers may not sustain immediate injuries after vibration exposure, but repeated exposure over extended periods can lead to devastating medical consequences. Vibrations can cause spinal trauma, ranging from chronic back pain to degenerative disc disease.
Workers may experience joint stiffness and profound physical inflammation. They may develop hand-arm vibration syndrome, which may affect their dexterity after holding tools that vibrate for hours regularly while on the clock.
How FELA can help
FELA gives workers the option of filing a lawsuit to seek compensation for medical conditions. Unlike the no-fault benefits available through workers’ compensation, FELA compensation requires proof of negligence.
Railroad employers often fail to consider the impact of vibrations on workers. They may not maintain seats that offer vibration-dampening suspension for workers who are on trains for hours every day. They may also ignore the need for shock-absorbing standing mats or may engage in scheduling practices that expose workers to lengthy periods of vibration. Workers hurt due to regular vibrations affecting their arms and hands through the use of tools through their whole bodies while they are on trains may be eligible for a FELA claim.
Reviewing job responsibilities and medical records with an experienced FELA attorney can help injured railroad workers pursue compensation for injuries clearly caused by workplace exposure to vibrations.