By Michael Bartlett on January 28th, 2026 in FELA
Spinal cord injuries occur when trauma or damage disrupts nerve signals between the brain and body. These can result in paralysis, sensation loss, motor impairment, and lifelong disability. The United States sees about 54 traumatic spinal cord injuries per million people each year, around 18,000 new cases annually.
Railroad workers have a higher chance of suffering spinal cord injuries because of the nature of their work and the types of accidents common in the industry.
People working on railroads deal with massive equipment, fast-moving trains, working from heights, connecting cars together, and managing complicated track systems. Any of these can lead to serious accidents that harm the spine. While specific U.S. injury statistics for railroad workers are limited in peer-reviewed public health datasets, industry sources and occupational safety analyses confirm that spinal cord injuries are among the catastrophic traumas railroad workers may suffer.
Common railroad accident scenarios that can lead to spinal cord damage include collisions or derailments, falls from equipment, railcars, or platforms, being struck by moving rail cars or machinery, and crush injuries during coupling or switching operations. These events can result in complete or incomplete spinal cord trauma, leading to permanent motor and sensory loss below the level of injury.
Railroad workers fall into the transportation category, where workers generally face more severe workplace injuries than those in many different industries. When someone suffers a traumatic spine injury at work, they typically need intensive medical care right away and often spend extended periods in the hospital. This shows just how severe these injuries can be.
Railroad operations create conditions that put workers at risk of sudden, violent trauma to the spine. Derailments throw workers against hard surfaces or trap them under equipment. Falls from railcar ladders, locomotive platforms, or loading docks send workers plummeting to the ground or onto tracks. Being struck by moving equipment can pin a worker between railcars or knock them down with enough force to fracture vertebrae and damage the spinal cord.
Coupling and switching operations present particular danger. Employees have to stand between the cars to hook up air hoses and couplers. When a car suddenly rolls, or the brakes don't hold, a worker can get crushed between them. The crushing force from these accidents frequently causes serious damage to the spinal cord.
Railroad workers face more than just sudden accidents. Years of whole-body vibration from locomotives and rail equipment can damage the spine and cause chronic back problems. A 1987 study on workplace vibration found it was linked to spinal system harm. This gradual wear weakens discs and structures, making workers more vulnerable when a traumatic event happens.
Railroad work requires a lot of heavy lifting, awkward positions, and repetitive movements that put the spine at risk. A major study of railroad maintenance workers found clear connections between physical job demands and back pain, including signs of nerve compression and sciatica. The cumulative stress from this work makes the spine gradually weaker. A fall or collision can then cause catastrophic injury to an already compromised spine.
A spinal cord injury can lead to paralysis, loss of motor function and feeling, persistent pain, and additional health complications. Many injured workers cannot go back to railroad employment or other work without significant accommodations. These injuries typically demand ongoing medical care, rehabilitation services, modifications to living spaces and vehicles, and specialized equipment. The long-term costs involved generally lead to high-value FELA claims.
Workers with complete spinal cord injuries face permanent paralysis and need complete assistance with daily activities. Incomplete injuries allow for some remaining function, but workers still face major limitations preventing them from doing physical work. A railroad career generally ends with either type of injury. Extensive financial support is needed for medical care and living expenses.
The Federal Employers' Liability Act allows railroad workers to pursue claims when injuries happen during employment and employer negligence contributed. This covers things like unsafe work conditions, lack of proper training, defective equipment, or ignored safety rules. Spinal cord injuries are specifically listed as covered conditions under FELA. They appear alongside other serious injuries like traumatic brain injury and amputations.
FELA sets a standard where the railroad's negligence only has to play any role at all in causing the injury. Even when several factors combine to cause the accident, the railroad can be held accountable for its contribution to the conditions that resulted in spinal cord damage.
Workers with spinal cord injuries can seek damages for medical costs both past and future, lost income and earning ability, pain and suffering, and permanent disability. The amounts are often substantial because these injuries generally need lifetime medical attention and prevent workers from earning a living.
Injured workers need thorough medical records documenting their spinal cord injury diagnosis and severity, accident reports and witness accounts of the incident, and evidence showing the employer's negligence or dangerous conditions helped cause the injury to succeed in a FELA claim.
FELA's comparative negligence framework means that even if the worker bears some responsibility, compensation can still be awarded proportional to the employer's fault. Workers' compensation systems work differently and might bar any benefits if the worker contributed to causing the accident.
For over 35 years, ELG Law has represented railroad workers who suffered catastrophic injuries due to employer negligence. If you sustained a spinal cord injury from a derailment, fall, collision, or crush accident while working for a railroad, you may be entitled to full compensation under FELA. Contact ELG Law for a free case evaluation where our attorneys will examine your accident and medical records to assess your claim and help you pursue maximum recovery under federal law.