Oklahoma FELA Lawyers

FELA is the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. It was passed by Congress in 1908 during the height of the railroad building era which had begun in the last half of the twentieth century. The law was established to protect the hundreds of railway workers who were being injured or killed on the job because of the great hazards of the occupation.

Outcries from labor union representatives and even pressure from President Theodore Roosevelt led to the passage of FELA. During 1908 alone, the year the law was passed, 281,645 railroad workers were injured and 12,000 died doing their work. The first laws governing damages awarded to railroad workers injured on the job, or to surviving family members if they had died, were passed in state courts in the 1830’s and 1840’s.

The railroad-building boom was preceded by the building of turnpikes and canals in this country. These were paid for mostly by the federal and state governments. But the Panic of 1837 marked a turning point for government ownership of railroads, and private companies took over. The government again assumed running the railroads during World War I, then, through the Transportation Act of 1920, returned ownership to private companies.

FELA Continues to Provide Protection for Injured Rail Workers

Railroad work today is still hazardous; protection by FELA is as important as ever in helping railroad employees or their families collect damages for injuries or death sustained in the course of their work.

Our Oklahoma FELA lawyers are ready to help retrieve damages for the many people who are hurt while working on Oklahoma’s railroads. Among the damages for which railroad employees may be compensated are:

  • Broken arms and legs
  • Joint damage
  • Injury to the neck and spine
  • Head injuries
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of future income
  • Pain and Suffering
  • Exposure to toxins and solvents

FELA is a specialized area of the law. If you or someone you know has been injured or died as a result of a railroad accident, it is especially important to find an attorney experienced in this particular area of law. To speak with an experienced Oklahoma FELA lawyer, call us today (800) 773-6770 or contact a qualified FELA attorney will contact you shortly.