railroad workers machinery

As a seasoned railroad worker, you may be diligent in conducting yourself in a manner that keeps you and your coworkers safe on the job site. But even with your best intentions and best efforts at the forefront, a defective piece of railcar equipment may malfunction out of seemingly nowhere and cause destruction to those handling it and simply standing near it. You may grow frustrated when harping on the fact that this accident could have been easily avoided if this defective part had been appropriately fixed or entirely removed from the workspace. If this is your current train of thought, please read on to discover how negligence can prompt railroad equipment malfunctions and how one of the talented defective railcar equipment injury lawyers at Hildebrand McLeod & Nelson LLP can help you attain justice in the matter.

In what ways might railroad workers get injured by malfunctioning equipment?

Unfortunately, when a railroad worker encounters a defective or malfunctioning piece of equipment, they may incur crush injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, etc. Further, this may lead to life-altering damages such as amputations, nerve damage, paralysis, etc. Without further ado, below are common examples of potentially dangerous, malfunctioning railcar equipment:

  • Defective couplers may fail to secure railcars properly.
  • Defective brakes may fail to stop railcars properly.
  • Defective handholds/ladders may fail to support railroad workers on the railcar.
  • Defective bolts/fasteners may fail to support railroad workers on the railcar.
  • Defective doors may fail to open for railroad workers wishing to exit the railcar.
  • Defective wheels may crack and fail to prevent railcars from derailing.
  • Defective railcar frames may fail to prevent collapses or derailments.
  • Defective air hoses may fail to control brakes and railcar movement.

Under what circumstances does negligence cause railcar equipment malfunctions?

Unfortunately, your railroad company employer may not have made their best efforts to mitigate the risks of malfunctioning railcar equipment. That is, they may have failed to routinely inspect, identify, and repair or remove this equipment. Or, they may not have failed to jump to action after you reported that this equipment was not functioning properly.

Further, you must understand that your employer is required to adhere to safety standards set by the Safety Appliance Act (SAA) for couplers, brakes, handholds, ladders, etc. So, if you believe they were negligent in doing so, you may cite this in your FELA claim. Importantly, the SAA may only apply to your claim if the train was in use at the time of your alleged accident event. Another way to put it is that your case could not be that the train was stopped for maintenance or inspection.

To learn more about how to handle your civil lawsuit, please get in touch with one of the competent FELA lawyers from Hildebrand McLeod & Nelson LLP. Better yet, schedule your initial consultation with our firm today.