Practice Area Descriptions

Railroad Injury Law - Federal Employer's Liability Act

Railroad workers are not covered by state workers' compensation laws. Railroad workers are covered by the Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA) which was passed by Congress in 1908. Under the FELA, railroad workers can make injury claims against their railroad employers for both specific injuries and for occupational injuries, which can include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Rotator cuff and shoulder injuries
• Cumulative injuries to the hips, knees, legs, ankles and feet
• Cumulative back injuries
• Lung injuries from dust exposure, including asbestosis, mesothelioma cancer and pneumoconiosis
• Injuries due to exposure to toxic chemicals, including solvents and welding fumes

Under the FELA, the injured railroad worker has the right to recover the following damages:

• Medical bills not paid by the railroad or the railroad's health insurance
• Future medical bills and expenses
• Past and future lost wages
• Past and future pain and suffering
• Past and future loss of enjoyment of life

The attorneys at Cranwell & Moore have extensive experience in representing railroad workers in FELA claims throughout the Southeast. In fact, Cranwell & Moore attorneys have obtained jury verdicts of over $1 million dollars for their FELA clients in the States of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. Cranwell & Moore attorneys have also received substantial six-figured jury verdicts for their FELA clients in occupational injury cases in the States of West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. Click on our Verdict & Settlement page for examples of these cases.

If you are a railroad worker who has been injured on the job, you cannot fight the railroad company on your own. You need the help and expertise of an experienced FELA attorney, such as those at Cranwell & Moore. It has been our experience that once a railroad worker has been injured on the job, he or she is often hounded by the railroad claim agent to give statements and to quickly settle the case. However, once you have retained the services of an attorney, then the railroad claims agent cannot talk to you about your claim, he must speak with your attorney. Therefore, if you have been injured by the negligence of your railroad employer, let the experienced attorneys of Cranwell & Moore negotiate your case with the railroad claims department. Also, if your injuries are so severe that you cannot return to work at the railroad, we can help you file for your Railroad Retirement Board sickness and disability benefits. Over the years, we have helped literally thousands of railroad workers receive just and fair compensation from their railroad employer for their on-the-job injuries.

If you think you have been injured on the job at the railroad, contact H. Keith Moore at HKM@cranwellmoorelaw.com or call (540) 344-1000 or toll-free 1-877-632-FELA (3352).