CSX Railroad & FELA Settlements

Also known as CSX Transportation, CSX Railroad is a Class I railroad that services the eastern U.S., as well as Ontario and Quebec. CSX Railroad is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida and is primarily known for its “Juice Trains” (which transport Tropicana orange juice supplies and products throughout the east coast) and its “Coke Express” (which transports “coke” or fuel to power plants, steel mills and various other industries).

Due to the intense nature of the job, individuals who work for CSX Railroad are at grave risk of sustaining serious, potentially fatal injuries while on the job. In fact, in the first three months of 2009 (January to March) over 1,600 individuals were injured and 150 died following railroad accidents in the U.S.

Given the increased dangers associated with working in the railroad industry, it's crucial that CSX Railroad workers understand their rights and know when to seek legal recourse for their work-related injuries. If you or a loved one is an injured CSX employee, contact Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. for help today.

CSX Transportation – The Largest Railroad in the Eastern United States

CSX has been the focus of nearly all the solvent railroad lawsuits, though Norfolk Southern and Burlington Northern, which later merged with Santa Fe, have also been targets. The flurry of lawsuits filed under FELA law in 1987 after a pivotal settlement was decided was classified by the industry as being bogus. The FELA attorneys working on the case uncovered the wide use of chemical solvents with the absence of implementing even the most basic workplace safety precautions.

FELA Lawsuits Against CSX Railroad

CSX still continues to deny a link between solvent exposure and brain damage, despite the dozens of published studies finding a connection. The company has claimed the high number of FELA lawsuits sought is because some law firms aggressively recruited clients and helped plant the idea that workers were sick. The inability for the industry to abolish or reform FELA law has allowed a way for some of those injured workers to seek damages. Still, under FELA law, workers must prove employer negligence, which can be extremely difficult especially against such large railroad companies.

There have been hundreds of solvent exposure lawsuits, with former and current railroad workers claiming illnesses such as brain damage because of unsafe working conditions. CSX has acknowledged 466 solvent settlements totaling over $35 million, with many more solvent lawsuits pending and expected to be filed. Even though the majority of major railroads have phased the use of the most toxic solvents out, workers have been exposed to high amounts of solvents for long periods of time from the 1960s through the early 1990s. Many medical experts believe instances of brain damage and toxic encephalopathy have been misdiagnosed as other conditions due to the complexity of the illness.

FELA Claims

The Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) was designed to protect the rights of railroad workers and entitles them to settlements if they are injured on the job. FELA law also stipulates that families of deceased CSX Railroad workers will be allowed to collect death benefits if their loved one is injured in the service of the railroad industry.

Some of the CSX Railroad injuries that can be compensated via FELA claims include (but aren't limited to):

  • back injuries
  • neck injuries
  • knee injuries
  • burns
  • crushing injuries
  • disfigurement
  • electrocutions
  • fractures
  • loss of limbs
  • permanent disabilities
  • traumatic brain injury
  • death

These railroad injuries tend to occur following:

  • collisions
  • derailments
  • highway-rail incidents (accidents resulting from interaction between a railroad and a highway passenger on the tracks or at a crossing)
  • human error (which can be caused by improper training, negligence or recklessness)
  • signal and/or equipment defects
  • track defects
  • trespassing

When to Meet with a CSX Railroad Accident Attorney

Injured railroad workers are encouraged to seek legal help from an experienced FELA attorney immediately after a work-related accident. This ensures the accident is fresh in the minds of any witnesses who may have seen the accident play out.

If you’ve been injured while working as a CSX employee, you should contact Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. for experienced help today. We will evaluate the details of your case, let you know how we can help you and let you decide if you want to hire us. You have nothing to lose. Call us today.