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Arkansas FELA Lawyers

Little Rock • Pine Bluff • Arkadelphia

If you work in the railroad industry, injuries that you suffer on the job will be governed by the Federal Employers' Liability Act, also known as FELA. FELA establishes specific procedures for filing a claim for compensation. These procedures can be complex and confusing. Your employer will use a team of well-trained investigators and law firms to work to minimize your claim. You need experienced legal counsel to protect your interests.

At Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. our attorneys have over 51 years of combined
experience representing railroad workers. Attorney R. Todd Elias is a partner in the firm and admitted to practice law in Arkansas. We handle FELA claims for individuals who have suffered all types of railroad injuries, including head, back, neck, knee and shoulder injuries. Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation.

Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. also represents FELA claimants for repetitive or cumulative trauma claims. For an in-depth discussion of the different types of cumulative claims please visit:

• Whole Body Vibration [WBV]
• Ankle & Knee Cumulative Injury

Congress enacted FELA in recognition of the dangers inherent with employment in the railroad industry. FELA establishes the legal authority for railroad workers to recover compensation for injuries suffered due to the negligence (in whole or in part) of a railroad carrier, its agents, servants or employees. Under FELA, if you have been injured on the job as a railroad worker, you can file suit to recover damages in state or federal court.

FELA also makes it easier to show liability, reducing the burden of proof in ordinary negligence situations, and waiving the need to prove negligence where the railroad violated a safety statute or regulation.

At Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., we handle all aspects of your FELA claim. We will guide you through the FELA claims process and provide you with a realistic assessment of what you can expect to recover for damages. We can also advise you regarding railroad retirement benefits and disability benefits.

Our attorneys take a small number of cases, so that we can give you a high level of personal attention and customer service. We won't assign your claim to an associate or a paralegal. You will have our personal cell phone number, so that you can call us any time you need to talk.

Over the years, we have seen the railroad industry become a safer place to work, due to advances in technology as well as the impact of successful claims against the railroad industry under FELA. Nonetheless, the railroad industry remains a dangerous place to work. If you have had an accident as a worker on a train, contact Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., for a free initial consultation.

51 years of Combined Experience Representing Injured Railroad Workers

Little Rock • Pine Bluff • Arkadelphia • AR FELA Lawyers

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Designated Legal Counsel (DLC) and non-DLC FELA Lawyers Practice the Same FELA Law

In most instances, the injured railworker is a member of a union. Unions such as the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way (BMWE), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), both of which are under the Brotherhood of International Teamsters (BIT), have large numbers of workers in the rail industry. Other Unions include:

1. American Train Dispatchers Department Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers ATDA
2. Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen BRS
3. International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers IBB
4. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW
5. National Conference of Firemen and Oilers of SEIU IBF&O
6. Sheet Metal Workers' International Association SMWIA
7. Transportation Communication Union-Clerks TCU-BRAC
8. Transportation Communication Union-Carman TCU-BRC
9. United Transportation Union UTU

Whatever your Union, more than likely they will have a designated union counsel. These DLC firms practice FELA law. There are many other law firms that do not have Union designation and they also practice FELA law. In every instance when you are injured, a claims agent will try to immediately take a statement from you. You should definitely speak to a FELA Lawyer, DLC or Non-DLC, before you give a statement to a claims agent. As to choosing a DLC or a non-DLC, you should choose the lawyer that you feel comfortable with and you should not be "pushed" to hire any lawyer. A FELA Lawyer can help you pursue a claim for railroad workers' compensation, i.e., FELA, if you have been injured.

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At Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., in Houston, we will represent or have represented clients with railroad injury cases across the United States, including the cities of Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Boston, St. Louis, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Dallas, El Paso, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Beaumont, Albuquerque, Kansas City, Nashville, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, San Francisco, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Birmingham, Washington D.C., Sacramento, Fresno, Wichita, Lincoln, and in every state, including Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware , Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Washington; we have also represented union members in the UTU, BLET, BRS, TWUA and BMWE.