Federal Employers Liability Act Covered For Railroad Workers Injuries

The Federal Employers Liability Act (also known as FELA) was enacted in 1908. It is a federal law that serves to protect and compensate railroad workers who got injured on the job.

Similar to Workers’ Compensation, it provides the injured worker with certain benefits and paid medical treatment. Here’s how this federal law works.

Proving the Fault

To receive benefits, one must get injured while performing their regular work duties. However, an injured railroad worker has to prove one thing in order to receive these benefits – that other party (another railroad worker, its agent or a contractor) or a faulty piece of equipment lead to the accident.

FELA is a fault-based system, and without being 100% sure or without having evidence, receiving these benefits could become quite difficult. This is why every injured individual should get legal representation. The right Los Angeles Workers Compensation Attorney may help you with the legal paperwork, guide you through this complicated process, and help you investigate the case and potentially find the missing evidence.

Railroad Companies have to provide their workers with the following:

• Safe work environments
• Inspected and fully functional working tools and equipment, as well as safety devices
• Provide their workers with appropriate training and adequate assistance
• Provide their workers with supervision and help
• Ensure that their workers are safe from harmful intentional acts of others
• Enforce all safety rules and regulations at the workplace
• Provide workers with reasonable work hours and prevent the use of unreasonable work quotas

If any of the above standards were not enforced at your workplace and you ended up with an injury, you are to immediately contact your superiors and your attorney, and let them know of your injury so that you may receive proper compensation.

Financial Compensation For The Injuries

If your lawsuit under FELA is successful, you will most likely receive the following:

• Compensation for your past and future lost wages
• Your past and future medical treatments (fully paid)
• Compensation for your past and future pain, suffering and other mental disorders or conditions

Remember that you have to prove that your injury was a result of someone else’s negligence or equipment malfunction at work. Without proper evidence, you may never receive any of the above-listed benefits. For this reason, contact one of our attorneys today.

Death Benefits

Just like with Workers’ Compensation, in case of a death at the workplace, the surviving family of the deceased can receive death benefits as a compensation for the lost husband, father, family member. Additionally, if the deceased worker has no spouse or children, the benefits will be given to a surviving parent or another close family member.

These types of benefits are hard to calculate as one cannot simply determine one’s worth. With the help of one of our attorneys, you may receive a substantial amount as compensation for your lost one. We understand that money cannot replace the one we love, but it will help you with the funeral and pay for all the additional costs which arose from this unfortunate event.