Common injuries affecting maintenance-of-way and track workers
The physical and operational demands of track and roadway work can lead to injuries such as:
- Back and neck injuries
- Shoulder and knee injuries
- Crush and caught-between injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Fractures
How these injuries can happen
For maintenance-of-way and track workers, injuries often involve on-track equipment, work-zone protection, heavy machinery, unstable surfaces, and material handling.
Common scenarios may include:
- Workers struck by trains or on-track equipment
- Roadway maintenance machine incidents
- Hi-rail vehicle accidents
- Inadequate on-track protection
- Falls on ballast or uneven terrain
- Defective tools or machinery
- Unsafe lifting or material handling
- Crane or boom incidents
- Poor communication between workers and equipment operators
- Unsafe spacing between machines
- Repetitive bending, lifting, or carrying
- Long-term exposure to vibration and noise
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) maintains specific Roadway Worker Protection requirements for employees who work on or near railroad tracks, including training, qualification, and on-track safety procedures.
Safety bulletin
Injured while working in maintenance-of-way? Do this now.
1
Get medical care
Seek appropriate medical attention and clearly explain how the injury occurred, including the equipment, work activity, track location, or conditions involved.
2
Document the work area and equipment
Record the track location, the roadway maintenance machine or hi-rail vehicle involved, the crew members, the equipment numbers, and the work being performed.
3
Preserve details about on-track protection
Write down what form of protection was being used, who was responsible for it, what instructions were given, and whether trains or other equipment were moving nearby.
4
Identify witnesses
Record the names of coworkers, roadway workers in charge, machine operators, supervisors, or others who witnessed the incident or were aware of the conditions involved.
5
Be accurate when reporting the injury
Describe the equipment, work method, track conditions, and events that contributed to the injury. Avoid guessing about facts you do not know.
6
Talk to a FELA attorney before signing important documents
Statements, releases, authorizations, settlement documents, or other paperwork may affect your rights after a serious railroad injury.
Injuries that develop over time
Not every maintenance-of-way injury results from a single incident.
Years of lifting rail and ties, carrying tools and materials, operating vibrating machinery, bending, kneeling, walking ballast, and working in awkward positions can contribute to chronic back, neck, shoulder, knee, hand, and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Long-term exposure to machinery noise, vibration, diesel exhaust, silica-containing dust, welding fumes, and other workplace conditions may also contribute to hearing loss or occupational illness.
When symptoms develop gradually, documenting your work history can be important. Record the duties you performed, the machinery and tools used, the physical demands of the work, the years of exposure, and when symptoms first appeared.
How FELA may apply
The Federal Employers’ Liability Act, or FELA, allows covered railroad employees to pursue damages when railroad negligence contributes in whole or in part to an injury.
For maintenance-of-way and track workers, an investigation may examine issues such as:
- On-track safety procedures
- Working limits and track authority
- Roadway maintenance machine operation
- Hi-rail vehicle condition
- Machine spacing and movement
- Crew communication
- Training and qualification
- Tools and equipment
- Staffing
- Track and ballast conditions
- Material handling practices
- Prior complaints or known hazards
FRA regulations include specific training and qualification requirements for roadway workers, including employees responsible for on-track safety and operators of roadway maintenance machines.
What a maintenance-of-way FELA case may be worth
There is no standard value for a maintenance-of-way or track worker injury claim.
The value of a FELA case can depend on the severity of the injury, medical treatment, whether the worker can return to railroad service, lost earnings, future restrictions, long-term medical needs, and the evidence showing how railroad negligence contributed to the injury.
Evidence that may matter
Important evidence can include:
- Job briefings and work plans: These may show how the work was organized, what hazards were discussed, and what protection was supposed to be in place.
- Track authority and on-track protection records: These may help establish working limits, train movements, and the type of protection provided to the roadway work group.
- Roadway maintenance machine records: Inspection, maintenance, and operating records may be important when heavy track machinery or hi-rail equipment contributed to the injury.
- Photos and video: Images can preserve track conditions, ballast, machinery positions, work-zone layout, and other hazards before conditions change.
- Training and qualification records: These may help establish whether employees responsible for equipment operation or on-track safety received required training and demonstrated proficiency.
- Witness statements: Coworkers, machine operators, and roadway workers in charge may provide important information about communication, equipment movement, and the conditions surrounding the injury.