New Jersey FELA Attorneys 

On Feb. 6, 1815, the New Jersey Railroad Company became the first railroad chartered in the U.S. The railroad company laid tracks between New Brunswick and Trenton and the charter became a model for others in the future.

Today’s tracks run for less than 1,000 miles in New Jersey, but despite the low mileage, the state’s railroads offer a variety of high-speed, local/shortline, and excursion operations. Many of the lines laid were located originally to serve New York City.

Railroad Companies in NJ

A number of the country’s most well-known railroads have run through New Jersey. These include the:

  • Pennsylvania Railroad
  • Erie
  • Reading
  • Central Railroad of New Jersey

In the 19th century, northwest New Jersey lines served the mining and dairy industries, central New Jersey lines carried agricultural produce to market, and southern New Jersey brought passengers to the beach resorts.

In the 1830’s and 1840’s, the rails and locomotives were brought over from England and constructed with the aid of horse-drawn carriages. The John Bull locomotive came to Bordentown from England on September 4, 1831. The first section, which ran between Stewarts Points Wharf to Hightstown, opened October 1, 1832, and was powered by horses.

The Camden & Amboy Railroad marked the true beginning of railroads in New Jersey, when it finished its first original line connecting Bordentown and Amboy in 1833. The next year, the line extended to Camden. Today’s Northeast Corridor, owned by Amtrak, was at that time a line that ran between Bordentown, Trenton, and New Brunswick.

Injuries Mount in the Railroad Industry

Building the railroads as well as working on them involved hazardous conditions and long hours. The equipment was heavy and much of the work was hard hand labor, such as driving in spikes and laying tracks. Railroad worker injuries and even deaths were common across the country.

Injuries to workers include (but are not limited to):

Laws to Protect Railroad Employees

Railroad workers were not covered by workmen’s compensation and they and their families had little recourse to recover damages to pay for the cost of treatment and lost wages. Finally, the public outcry and pressure from the railroad workers labor unions pushed Congress to pass the 1908 Federal Employer’s Liability Act (FELA), making the railroad companies responsible for compensating injured workers and their families.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a railroad accident, you should seek compensation through a  New Jersey FELA Attorney. Our attorneys have the expertise and experience to understand the complex FELA laws and to bring you the settlement you deserve. We are accepting new cases on behalf of injured workers in New Jersey and throughout the U.S.

Consultations are free of charge.