Due to advances in technology over the years, as well as the railroad's motive to drive profits to its shareholders, railroads in the United States are hauling more freight over more miles of tracks than ever before, but are using fewer employees to carry out this physically demanding work. In the 1970s, the railroad industry employed over one million employees. Through 2009, the number of railroad employees in the United States has decreased to only 220,000. Increased productivity and decreased manpower has resulted in many overworked employees, and has ultimately led to the prevalence of cumulative trauma injuries.
Kansas City Cumulative Trauma Injury Attorneys
Railroad workers of all crafts are exposed, on a daily basis, to risk factors generally recognized to cause orthopedic cumulative trauma injuries. The railroad industry has been well aware of the presence of risk factors, yet, for a myriad of reasons, has chosen not to take steps to sufficiently reduce employee exposures to these recognized hazards which include:
- Awkward/extreme postures
- Static postures
- High forces
- Repetition
- Mechanical contact with soft tissues
- Vibration
- Exposure to cold
Cumulative trauma injuries can occur to railroad employees of any age in all railroad crafts. These injuries can occur to all parts of the body, including the joints, bones and tissues of the spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, hips, knees, ankles and feet. Many times surgery is required to treat these types of potentially disabling injuries, which can ultimately prevent an employee from returning to work for the railroad. Hearing loss is also recognized as an occupational cumulative trauma claim for which compensation can be pursued.
Because these types of "wear out" injuries occur over time with no actual date of injury, and if you are experiencing any appreciable symptoms which you believe may be due to your railroad working environment, call the experienced FELA attorneys at O'Brien Chod, LLC, toll free at 877-746-3165 or e-mail us to discuss your situation. Our FELA repetitive stress injury attorneys will quickly evaluate the three year FELA statute of limitations. We serve clients in Louisville, Chicago, Kansas City and throughout the Unites States.. Successfully pursuing a cumulative trauma FELA claim can be extremely challenging. We are here to help.
