Did lack of training lead to your railroad injury?

Working on a Louisiana railroad can be adventurous, challenging, rewarding and downright dangerous, all at the same time. As in other industries, your railroad employers have an obligation to make sure you have proper training before placing you on duty in any rail system capacity. They must also provide all available equipment to help keep you and your co-workers as safe as possible.

It’s no secret that lack of training and employer negligence often lead to worker injuries. If you’re involved in a railroad accident, you may have to take a lot of time off work in recovery. Hopefully, your injuries have not caused permanent disability. If they have, you may need special assistance, such as at-home nursing care or other types of aid. When employer negligence is a factor, you may seek financial recovery under the Federal Employers Liability Act.

Issues that may be pertinent to your situation

Current data shows major issues of concern regarding worker safety on railroads in Louisiana and throughout the nation. The following list offers further explanation and also points you in the right direction for various types of support you may need in the aftermath of your injury:

• As mentioned earlier, proper training is critical to railroad worker safety. Whether you worked on a passenger or freight train, if your training was not current and in compliance with accepted standards, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim against your employer for negligence.
• You may have gone through extensive training, but it will do no good if there is a communication breakdown among workers or between workers and employers on the tracks. Poor communication is a main factor in many railway collisions.
• Human error plays a major role in safety on the nation’s railroads, and in the wake of many train tragedies, information has come to light regarding engineers or conductors who were extremely fatigued, or administrators who failed to comply with safety regulations. On-the-job complacency is a danger to railway employees and passengers.

As you know, many train wrecks result in fatalities. As you and your family rejoice in the fact that you survived your injuries, it doesn’t necessarily mean the road to recovery will be easy. The FELA is different from the workers’ compensation system because it allows you to pursue legal accountability against a negligent employer. There are support networks in place in Louisiana to help you navigate the FELA system.