Railroad Worker Suffers Permanent Injury From Electric Shock

Case Overview

This case takes place in New York and involves a locomotive engineer who was injured while operating the locomotive for a large freight train hauling iron ore. The engineer leaned back in his seat and, without warning, his hand touched unprotected bare wires within the locomotive cabin. The wires were on the back door window defrost heater, and, as a result of the shock, he has sustained neurological problems, including permanent tremors, and was diagnosed with mild traumatic brain damage. In addition to his neurological problems, the plaintiff was also severely burned during the accident, leaving extensive scarring and tissue damage on his arm and leg.

Questions to the Electrical expert and their responses

Are you familiar with the Federal Employer’s Liability Act and the laws aimed at protecting railroaders?

I am extremely familiar with the Federal Employers Liability Act and believe I can be of great help in this case.

Have you ever worked on the electrical systems of a locomotive?

I am an electrical engineer by training and worked in the railroad industry for a number of years. I trained and supervised employees as to safe work practices on a continuing basis, investigated employee injuries and devised corrective action. It should go without saying that electrical wires in any setting or scenario should be covered and protected. In this case, it's likely that the protective insulation surrounding the wires had been worn through due to use, and that a regular inspection of the cabin should have detected the issue before it had the opportunity to cause serious harm as in this case.

About the expert

This expert has been in the railroad industry for over 30 years. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and has completed OSHA 30-hour training courses in both Electrical Standards and Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Construction. He is also certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners as a Photo Voltaic Energy System Installer, a certification which requires extensive training on the National Electric Code, the National Electric Safety Code, and ongoing Continuing Education Units. The President of the National Association of Railroad Safety Consultants and Investigators, he holds membership in a number of professional engineering organizations and is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction. Currently, this expert is the President of his own railroad accident reconstruction firm. He has investigated over 300 locomotive-related accidents across the U.S. and Canada, including many railroad employee on-the-job injuries and FELA cases.

E-007300

Specialties:

Electrical