In the late 19 century and the beginning of 20th century the U.S. railroad companies thrived and expanded but the working conditions for the average Joe in this area were a bet with death. The number of deaths and injuries were of the order of thousands, and the victims may have been in the situation of waiting years for verdict in court if the railroad companies fought the decisions.
Many of them wouldn't even go to court seeking their legal compensation fearing disciplinary action and retaliation.
President Benjamin Harrison once compared the struggle and toil of a railroad worker to that of a soldier on the battlefield.
"It is a reproach to our civilization that any class of American workmen, should in the pursuit of a necessary and useful vocation, be subjected to a peril of life and limb as great as that of a soldier in time of war".
Something had to be changed. The gloomy statistics had to draw the attention of the legislation.
The Federal Employers Liability Act was passed by Congress in 1908 and it meant that railroad workers had the right to sue their employers for damages if they were injured while doing their job since they were not covered by regular workers’ compensation laws.
Ever since, FELA was a guardian for a safe
working environment, even if conditions have surely changed since the late 1800. FELA also has been protecting workers from the pressure exercised by companies against those who want to seek legal consultation when they feel their rights are violated.
As an example , it's a little known fact that sometimes workers who have sustained injuries are entitled to more than just compensation since their employers will always seek to minimize their costs on the legal battlefield.
The best advice for a victim of a work accident in the railroad bussiness is to contact an experienced
FELA attorney
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