Virginia is the home of Norfolk Southern, one of the largest railroads in the country. The NS railroad has won the Harriman award 22 times because it has had the lowest injury rate among the class 1 railroads. However, it was recently announced that this will be the last year for the Harriman award. Over the past 32 years, railroad employee injuries have decreased by 82%. In addition, there has been a recognition that pressure to win the award has translated into attempts by supervisors to avoid reportable injuries on all railroads. Railroad employees who are injured on the job are covered by the Federal Employer's Liability Act or FELA and they have to make a claim against their employer since they are not covered by a state compensation scheme. Our firm has handled railroad employe injury claims for decades and is familiar with the requirements of the FELA. We believe that the demise of the Harriman award is long overdue and all railroad employees will be better off without the pressure of supervisors trying to avoid the reporting of an injury. We are glad that injuries have decreased and hope that the railroads will continue to improve and stress safety without the incentive of the Harriman award.
Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment