Welder Gets Million Dollar Award against Union Pacific Railroad

An Illinois court awarded $1 million to an ex-track welder with the Union Pacific Railroad over injuries he suffered while serving the company for 20 years.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the 48-year-old plaintiff claimed his spinal discs deteriorated and he developed herniated lumbar discs and nerve-root impingement due to work that involved standing on railroad tracks in an uncomfortable posture for long hours. Eventually, he required surgical treatment to remove one disc and fuse two vertebrae.

The lawsuit was filed under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA), a law that protects and compensates railroaders injured on the job. Under FELA, railroads have a duty to provide safe places of work for their employees, safe equipment, tools, and proper working conditions, and to ensure that employees are properly trained, equipped, and supervised.

If you or someone you know has been injured while working for a railroad company, you may have rights and could be entitled to compensation under FELA. Contact Sokolove Law today for a free consultation to find out if a workplace injury lawyer can help you.

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