Illinois FELA Attorneys
Chicago • Peoria • Springfield • Decatur • Mount Vernon
Have you been injured while working for a railroad company? Your right to recover compensation for your injuries is governed by the Federal Employers' Liability Act, also known as FELA. FELA has a complex claims process that can be difficult to navigate. The railroad companies will employ well-trained investigators as well as law firms to minimize your recovery. You need an experienced FELA attorney on your side.
At the law firm of Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., we have over 51 years of combined experience representing railroad workers throughout Illinois who have been injured on the job. 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:
The U.S. 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 will advise you on all matters involving FELA, including railroad retirement benefits and disability benefits. We have extensive experience guiding clients through the FELA claims process and can give you a realistic idea of what you can expect to recover for damages in a FELA action.
Our lawyers take only a small number of cases, so that we can devote our full attention to each client. We emphasize customer serve and will provide you with our personal cell phone numbers, so that you can reach us any time you need to talk. When you hire our firm, your case will always be handled by an attorney, rather than an associate or a paralegal.
The railroad industry become a safer place to work, both as a result of advances in technology, but also as the result of successful claims against the railroad industry under FELA. Nonetheless, railroad jobs are still inherently dangerous.
If you have had an accident as a railroad worker and want experienced legal counsel to guide you through the process, contact Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., for a free initial consultation.
51 years of Combined Experience Representing Injured Railroad Workers
Chicago • Peoria• Springfield • Decatur • Mount Vernon•IL
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:
- American Train Dispatchers Department Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers ATDA
- Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen BRS
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers IBB
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW
- National Conference of Firemen and Oilers of SEIU IBF&O
- Sheet Metal Workers' International Association SMWIA
- Transportation Communication Union-Clerks TCU-BRAC
- Transportation Communication Union-Carman TCU-BRC
- 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.
