Your Railroad Accident Law Firm

There are many federal and state railroad accident laws on the books. Some regulate how railroad companies maintain their railroad properties and equipment. Others regulate workplace and public safety for railroads.

But arguably, the most important railroad accident law is FELA. FELA, which stands for Federal Employers Liability Act, is a type of workers compensation that provides a legal framework allowing railroad workers injured on the job to sue their employers to cover their losses.

While workmans compensation is administered according to state defined rules and formulas, juries decide FELA cases. And FELA compensation generally exceeds what is customary for workmans comp. Damages are determined based upon comparative negligence, which means the percentage of negligence on the part of the employer versus the percentage of negligence by the worker. If, for example, the jury decides that the total damages for the case amount to $100,000 and the worker was 50 percent at fault, the worker then receives half the money. If the worker was not at fault at all, then he or she can receive the entire jury award.

Railroad accident law firm experienced at FELA cases

Congress passed FELA in 1908 in response to the staggering number of wrongful deaths and serious, life-altering injuries suffered by American railroad workers at the turn of the twentieth century. While FELA is now 100 years old, the law is alive and well today and still protecting railroad accident workers.

Without FELA, railroad workers who are injured or killed on the job would find it very difficult to sue their railroad employer. Even with FELA protections in place, the largest railroad companies, considered Class 1 because of their high revenues, have very deep pockets and teams of lawyers ready to defend against FELA claims.

In the freight railroad industry, a handful of Class 1 railroad companies together account for over 90 percent of the total revenue for that sector. In 2006, freight rail revenues exceeded $53 billion. The top Class 1 railroad companies for freight include the following:

Union Pacific
Burlington Northern Sante Fe
CSX Transportation
Norfolk Southern
Kansas City Southern Railway

Let us fight for you!

To go up against these powerful companies, railroad accident workers need to enlist the help of lawyers who are knowledgeable about railroad accident laws and ready to wage an aggressive legal battle against railroad companies.

Attorney Edward J. Hershewe, pronounced Hersh-way, and his wife Attorney Alison Hershewe are railroad accident lawyers who can demonstrate successful railroad accident verdicts and settlements. And Edward Hershewe is the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Thomas G. Strong Trial Attorney Award.

With over 30 years of experience in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and nationally, the Hershewe Law Firm, P.C. has the skill and experience to fight the railroad companies and their insurers. Call 877-382-9734 or contact us online today for a free consultation about your case.