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Coupling injuries and spinal cord injuries are among the most disabling. The many thousands of railway cars that compose modern trains are connected to each other by couplers, which come in a wide variety of designs and safety levels. Railroad workers who are responsible for coupling and uncoupling train cars are vulnerable to many injuries, including:
FELA and Coupling/Spinal Cord Injuries
Railroad workers' coupling injuries (including spinal cord injuries) that occur when a railroad has not met its safety obligations may be covered by FELA, the Federal Employers' Liability Act. This Act was implemented to give railroad workers and their families the opportunity to successfully sue railroad employers for damages based on work-related injurieswork-related injuries or fatalities.
Before FELA was instituted in 1908, railroads rarely provided fair compensation to workers who were injured in the course of their employment. More often than not, the employers simply replaced the injured or killed worker and offered a bare minimum of compensation. With FELA, individuals and families impacted by incidents such as coupling injuries and spinal cord injuries have "a fighting chance" to hold railroads accountable for their lapses in safety.
As Supreme Court Justice William Douglas said at the time of FELA's passing, "The Federal Employers' Liability Act was designed to put on the railroad industry some of the costs of the legs, arms, eyes, and lives which it consumed in its operation."
In addition, under FELA, railroad employers are obliged to provide:
Determining Liability
In many cases, the circumstances of an injury or fatality are somewhat ambiguous. An individual may bear some of the responsibility for his or her own injury. This does not prevent a FELA claimFELA claim, however. With the legal counsel of an experienced lawyer, the injured party or surviving dependents can initiate a claim to determine the liability of the railroad employer.
Contact a FELA attorney to discuss your injury or your loved one's death. To schedule a free initial consultation and learn about what to expect if you pursue a FELA claim, fill out the simple contact form on and an experienced attorney on your area will contact you shortly.
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