FELA Lawyer News Blog

Archive for the ‘FELA Law’ Category

HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS 269th JUDICIAL DISTRICT –  FELA lawyer, Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, represent a 46-year old railroad worker from Harris County, Texas, who was performing his duties as a machine operator helper while in the employment of Union Pacific, when he was caused to suffer physical injuries due to the negligence of Union Pacific.

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OSHA’s Region 7 Office announced Wednesday that BNSF has been ordered to pay an employee over $95,000 for violating the Whistleblower Provisions of the FRSA. BNSF suspended the employee for 30 days after he reported an on-the-job injury. BNSF suspended the employee for 30 days for allegedly using the wrong tool in the incident in which he was hurt. OSHA’s investigation concluded that the tool was not available to the employee until after he was hurt.

An OSHA investigation upheld the employee’s allegation that the Ft. Worth, Texas-based railroad issued him a Level S 30-day record suspension and one-year probation in retaliation for reporting a work-related injury. ... Read More

BAKERSFIELD, CA. – On Novenber 3, the FELA lawyer news blog wrote a story titled BNSF Proposal to Transfer Bakersfield Workers to Barstow Meets Resistance. The story was about the BNSF rail company’s proposal to transfer about 100 Bakersfield employees to the Barstow area.

Now the BNSF railroad workers and their families say  there is another reason to avoid the transfer – contaminated water. Barstow’s water supply county was found to have traces of a toxic chemical that’s used to make rocket fuel and explosives and San Bernadino residents were warned late last week not to drink the tap water. ... Read More

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, September 27, 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) made a final ruling regarding cell phone usage by railroad employees.

FRA final ruling on cell phone usage by railroad employees.

Below are excerpts from the ruling published in the Federal Register. This post is a follow-up to a related story published here at the FELA Lawyer News Blog on May 18th, 2010. ... Read More

HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS – Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, nationwide FELA lawyers, represent a 30 year old railroad employee who was working as an equipment operator at BNSF Railway’s Cicero Yard in Cicero, Illinois. On April 25, 2010, the plaintiff was operating a tractor in order to move a chassis in the yard. When the plaintiff approached the chassis that was to be moved, the dolly legs on the chassis were not raised high enough, which prevented the tractor and the chassis from properly lining up. When the plaintiff attempted to get the tractor under the chassis, the impact caused the plaintiff to be injured.

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HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS – Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, FELA lawyers, represent a 36 year old machine operator from Guing, Nebraska, who was working near or around Bovina, Texas when he sustained multiple injuries due to the negligence of BNSF Railway Company. The incident occurred on October 7, 2007,

BNSF Railway Company is being sued by Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, under The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) which establishes a railroad’s legal responsibilities to its employees for work-related injuries and diseases due to railroad fault.

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RIVERDALE, IL – The woman, who was killed Friday night on April 23, 2010 when a freight train rolled over her in a Riverdale rail yard, has been identified as Melinda Carter, 37, a CSX railroad employee. According to Melinda’s family, she was at work in the yard when a train malfunctioned and rolled over her.

Melinda Carter, a 37 year old CSX train conductor, was run over by a freight train that malfunctioned while she was working in a Riverdale rail yard.

The accident occurred on the company’s grounds near 134th Street and Ashland Avenue in Riverdale and an investigation is ongoing, a CSX spokesman said.  ... Read More

HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS – Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, FELA lawyers, represent a Victoria, Texas railroad employee who sustained a lower back injury due to the negligence of Union Pacific Railroad.

The plaintiff is a 34 year-old machinist who was working for Union Pacific Railroad around Vanderbilt, Texas near mile post 240.

The incident occurred on October 7, 2009. The plaintiff was traveling northbound on the track from Placedo to Vanderbilt, Texas with a tamper machine following behind being operated by another employee of Union Pacific. ... Read More

MADISON COUNTY, WI – On Wednesday, March 17, A lawsuit was filed by Stephen S. Kawa, a former Norfolk Southern Railroad employee, against Norfolk Southern Railroad. The lawsuit claims that Kawa began working as a laborer for Norfolk Southern Railroad in 1978 and finished his career in 2009. Over the course of his 31 year employment, the former railroad worker claims he was assigned duties beyond his physical capabilities and subjected to numerous repetitive traumas which resulted in his multiple injuries.

Norfolk Southern Railroad Company. PHOTO: Businessweek.com

According to the complaint, Kawa also claims that on July 6, 2009, he sustained sustained permanent injuries to his neck, back and body after hitting his head on the roof of a truck.  ... Read More

Welcome to the FELA Lawyer News Blog, published by the law firm of Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP. Here you will find up to date news and information on FELA law, railroad worker injury law, train accidents and railroad companies.

The lawyers at Gordon, Elias & Seely L.L.P., have more than 40 years of combined experience in representing injured railroad workers. The main focus of our practice is to help people who have FELA personal injury claims. In addition we have provided a comprehensive FELA Lawyer FAQ page on Railroad Retirement Board benefits. Though we do not represent people in front of the RRB, we hope that this page is helpful to you.

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