IBEW Adopts Designated FELA Legal Counsel Program For Railroad Members

Every year, many of our Railroad members are injured on the job, some seriously, as a result of dangerous equipment and tools, unsafe work procedures, inadequate rules, and lack of manpower. When this occurs, the railroads’ knee-jerk reaction is often to launch an “investigation,” as part of which the railroads blame the employee for his or her injuries. At the same time, the railroads bring their claims department on board to begin fighting the employees’ claim for fair compensation even before it is brought. And when the employee does bring a claim, the railroads utilize the same group of experienced defense firms to the fight the claim.
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To level the playing field and ensure that our members have access to attorneys experienced in handling railroad claims, the IBEW, through the Railroad Department, has adopted a “Designated FELA Legal Counsel” program. The law firms and attorneys who participate in our program are experienced trial lawyers from across the country who specialize in handling cases brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, which is the law that protects injured railroad employees. Most of our Designated Counsel have represented members of our railroad locals for many years and we have found them to be trustworthy and competent. All must be members of the “Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (ARLA)”, and must have agreed to and signed the “IBEW Rules of Conduct” for FELA Designated Legal Counsel.