Accident Injury in Rail Yard
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Trains can weigh up to 200 tons, so people who work in rail yards are vulnerable to injury. The rail yard has become a safer place to be as time has passed, but more injuries occur in rail yards than other American industries. Workers have sustained burns, lacerations, fractured or broken bones and spinal cord injuries and paralysis. Some people have even lost their lives. After rail yard workers experience these types of injuries, they benefit greatly from the expertise of a FELA attorney. The job of a FELA injury lawyer is to ensure that you receive full compensation in a case that requires specific knowledge of the railroad industry.
Working in a rail yard can mean that you have performed very strenuous activities and completed repetitive tasks. These types of railroad work injuries are more difficult for FELA lawyers to litigate, but they will work hard for you from beginning until the end to obtain the monetary compensation that you deserve.
Why Rail Yard Injuries Happen
Injuries often occur in rail yards just because they are dangerous environments. Workers have been crushed by switches and levers and have been hurt while loading and unloading heavy machinery. In addition, the rail yard is a place where workers must contend with many flammable substances, and this puts them at a high risk of being burned by fuel supplies. They are also in danger of being caught in an explosion because it is easy for these substances to be spilled as they are being transported.
The dangers do not end there. Locomotives often transport poisonous gases and toxic chemicals, and workers have been injured while working with these materials. However, most injuries occur when equipment fails, after a train derailment or a collision with another locomotive. Workers are required to spend time on active tracks, and although people in the control towers are aware that workers are on these tracks, accidents still happen because of miscommunication. Sometimes, operators are entirely unaware that workers may be in a dangerous location because they cannot see them.
Making Rail Yards Safer
Employers have the obligation to ensure that their rail yards are as safe as they can possibly be for their workers. For example, they can ensure that their employees are only working on inactive tracks. If maintenance must be performed on active tracks, employers must ensure that there is proper communication among the controller, the operator and the yard.
Since rail yard work is so strenuous, employers must know that their workers are physically able to perform this type of work. Employees who are fatigued cannot be as attentive in their duties as they need to be, and this has been the cause of accidents in the past.
A qualified railroad worker injury lawyer from the Burwell Nebout Trial Lawyers will work diligently and aggressively to pursue full compensation in any type of railroad yard accident claim by building a strong case to ensure recovery of full compensation for your injuries.
We’re on your side. Contact us at (281) 645-5000 or email our team to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
