Railroad Injury FELA

If you have suffered an on-duty railroad work injury, then you have rights under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, FELA, that protects you for your on-duty work injury. Our office focuses on protecting railroaders’ rights under the FELA, which allows railroaders to file a claim against their carriers to recover past and future lost wages, pain, and suffering, past and future medical expenses, past and future benefits, and loss of enjoyment of life. Railroaders’ injuries can include spine injuries to the neck, back, and lower back, traumatic brain injuriesamputationsof limbs, burn and explosion injuriestrauma, stress, and body vibration (cumulative trauma), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”) and emotional injuriesworkplace exposure and cancer, and even wrongful death.

Poolson | Oden is a top railroad injury law firm in Louisiana, representing nationwide, including Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Arkansas. As a law firm, our goal is to educate and protect our clients by leading from difficult situations to successful outcomes so our clients can move forward with their lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

For additional in-depth information, please see the most commonly asked questions below.

Victims of spinal cord injuries may be left with permanent disabilities that range from complete paralysis to the inability to walk and lack of sensation running down the arms into the hands and fingers, and/or running down the legs into the shins, calves, feet, and toes.

Not only did we study pre-medicine courses in our undergraduate courses, but we have also audited anatomy and physiology courses to learn the medicine better for our clients and their cases.

Are you suffering from loss of consciousness, memory loss, amnesia, confusion, or disorientation? Have your moods been changing more so after hitting your head?


A railroad worker can suffer a traumatic brain injury even if his or her skull doesn’t come into contact with an object. This is referred to as a coup and contrecoup brain injury. The brain can move around inside the skull with some degree of freedom, despite being fixed at specific locations. A person with a severe brain injury may not be able to walk, hold down a job, concentrate, think coherently, or even feed themselves. The patient is not the only one affected by brain injury; it also severely impacts the patient’s family.

Amputations change a railroader’s entire life and way of being, which can cause despair, shame, and a lack of social desires. The anguish and harm to the victim’s capacity to support himself and his family make losing a limb—a hand, arm, leg, or worse—catastrophic. Amputees may require assistance with relatively basic tasks. Many will have to purchase a costly prosthetic foot, leg, hand, or arm. It is possible to adjust to amputation; however, amputees frequently describe problems such as phantom pains. All of these factors make it extremely important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible after an event that results in amputation, to discuss your options for your on-duty railroad injury.
Explosions and burn injuries can happen to anyone working in the railroad industry. Railroaders should trust that their environment has been kept safe, even when working with combustible gas and chemicals. We have helped railroaders who have suffered in explosions, burn injuries, and even fatalities. Burn injuries, if not fatal, can result in excruciating agony and suffering. Determining the cause and going against the carriers requires a thorough and detailed investigation following the destruction that an explosion or fire may leave. Various elements may be at play while determining the cause of an explosion or fire. Severe burn injuries can emotionally and physically impact a person’s life. All of these factors make it extremely important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible after an explosion or burn injury.
Railroaders’ injuries can occur in the blink of an eye. Many of our clients are hard-working railroaders who have worked all their lives to provide for themselves and their families. It is extremely difficult to admit to yourself or your loved ones that you may be injured or hurt. It is admirable to be such a hard worker, even through soreness and pain. However, if you have suffered an on-duty injury to any part of your body, you must get the proper medical attention in order to get back to 100% and return to full form before it gets worse. Our attorneys have helped many railroaders through proper medical treatment to get well and return to the job they love – railroading. If you are not healthy and 100%, then you are only increasing the chance to cause further injury to yourself, or even worse, to someone else. If you think you have suffered an on-duty work injury, then please contact our office today to discuss your circumstances. The call/text are absolutely free with no charge to you. Our law firm is a resource for railroaders, and we are here to answer all your questions.
Railroaders can also suffer injuries over time. These injuries include cumulative trauma, repetitive stress, and whole-body vibration. Railroaders slowly suffer injuries to their muscles, spinal cord, nerves, joints, shoulders, hips, feet, knees, and bones after years of exposure to unsafe working practices and unsafe working environments. Railroaders who suffer these injuries often undergo multiple surgeries and may even become permanently disabled. If you think you have suffered an on-duty work injury, then please contact our office today to discuss your circumstances. The call/text are absolutely free with no charge to you. Our law firm is a resource for railroaders, and we are here to answer all your questions.
Railroaders report to work every day under extremely dangerous and hazardous conditions. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a significant problem for rail workers after accidents. If you think you have suffered an emotional injury on the railroad, then please contact our office today to discuss your circumstances. The call/text are absolutely free with no charge to you. Our law firm is a resource for railroaders, and we are here to answer all your questions.
Cancer is a significant risk for railroad workers. Do you know why that is? Many railroad workers in America are exposed to diesel exhaust, asbestos, silica dust, round-up, etc., during their careers. All of those toxins cause many different life-threatening cancers. In addition, many non-smoking railroad workers are exposed to secondhand smoke, another recognized lung carcinogen. Because many railroad workers suffer decades of exposure to known carcinogens, they are tragically diagnosed with lung cancer at elevated rates. If you are sick and think you have been affected by workplace exposure to chemicals or toxins, please call us to discuss your rights.
When a railroad worker dies from injuries while working for the railroad, their family or estate representative may file a lawsuit under FELA (Federal Employers’ Liability Act) to recover certain financial compensation. The party filing the lawsuit is a personal representative of the decedent – typically a spouse or close family member. .. It is necessary to establish, as in other FELA injury claims, that the railroad’s negligence or a violation of a railroad safety law contributed to or caused the railroader’s death.
We were referred to Poolson Oden by a family member and in a time of uncertainty, this firm treated us like family throughout our entire case. Danny Poolson and his team went above and beyond to make sure that all of our questions were answered and walked us through the entire process. We were extremely satisfied with our settlement and would recommend Poolson Oden should you find yourself needing representation!
Crystal B.
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