01 / 06 · Record FELA verdict$33,000,000Jury verdict · FELA
A 19-year-old conductor with catastrophic crush injuries. The railroad failed to provide a safe workplace.
Chicago Railroad Injury Lawyers · Nationwide
Trial-tested
FELA lawyers for
railroaders.
SMART-TD Designated Legal Counsel, with a record $33 million FELA jury verdict for an injured railroader.
- 4.8 on Google44+ reviews
- No win, no feeFree case evaluation
- SMART-TDDesignated Legal Counsel
- Academy of RailLabor Attorneys
Case results
FELA Railroad Injury$33,000,000Jury Verdict
FELA Railroad Injury$10,000,000Jury Verdict
FELA Railroad Injury$5,232,000Jury Verdict
FELA Railroad Injury$4,201,000Jury Verdict
FELA Railroad Injury$3,979,686Jury Verdict
FELA Railroad Injury$3,750,000Jury Verdict
FELA Railroad Injury$2,331,000Jury Verdict
Products Liability$1,850,000Jury Verdict
Serious Injury$1,500,000Settlement
Wrongful Death$1,100,000Settlement
How a case works
The railroad has a rulebook. So do we.
Railroads handle injury claims the same way every time. Here is what they do at each stage of a case, what we do instead, and what happened when it went to a jury.
- Rule 1The first hoursThe railroad’s rule
Delay medical care. Get the statement.
A claim agent reaches you fast and works you for a recorded statement, often before you have seen your own doctor. If you work for the railroad, they also slow-walk your treatment and steer you to theirs.
OursGet medical care first, from a doctor you choose. If you work for the railroad, federal law bars it from delaying or interfering with your treatment. Then call us. The evaluation is free, and from then on the railroad’s questions come to us.
- Rule 2The first daysThe railroad’s rule
Write the report. Control the evidence.
They write the report of what happened in their words and push injured workers to sign it, while the event recorder data, video and maintenance records stay locked in their hands.
OursWe investigate. Preservation demands go out in the first days, we talk to any potential witnesses while it is fresh, and we review the report before it becomes the record.
Case result · Jury verdict$5,232,000The firm proved a ballast regulator’s backup alarm had failed. A jury verdict record in Western Michigan.
- Rule 3The first monthsThe railroad’s rule
Pressure the injured. Rush the recovery.
They push you to call yourself healed before you are. If you work for the railroad, that means discipline for reporting, pressure to see their doctor, and a return to work before you have healed.
OursKeep treating with your own doctor and follow the plan. While you heal, we build the damages. If you work for the railroad, it cannot discipline you for following that plan, and if it retaliates, we file the FRSA complaint before its 180-day deadline.
Case result · Offer vs. verdict$15,000 → $1,390,000An engineer’s spine, worn down by locomotive vibration until it needed rods to stabilize it. The railroad offered $15,000. The jury awarded $1,390,000.
- Rule 4The offerThe railroad’s rule
Lowball early. Close the file.
They make an offer before anyone knows what the injury will cost you over a lifetime, and hope you sign before you find out.
OursNo number until the medical picture is clear. Then a demand built like a trial file, so the railroad has to price it like one.
Case result · Offer vs. verdict$400,000 → $3,979,686An engineer hurt in a company vehicle crash. The railroad offered $400,000 before trial. The jury awarded $3,979,686.
- Rule 5TrialThe railroad’s rule
Blame the injured. Cite the rulebook.
They put you on trial instead, combing their rulebook for anything they can pin the injury on.
OursWe take it to a jury and prove the railroad broke the rules. Settle or try it, the decision is yours.
Case result · Jury verdict$33,000,000The railroad violated the federal radio communication rule. A 19-year-old conductor, record FELA verdict.
Rule 1 of 5
Results are from the firm’s own cases. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Know your rights
Railroad workers are covered by FELA, not workers comp.
Federal law gives injured railroaders rights most workers never get. The railroad’s claim agent knows these rules on day one. You should too.
Full damages, not a comp schedule
FELA can recover lost wages, future earnings, medical costs and pain and suffering when the railroad’s negligence played any part in your injury.
Three years to file, less to protect evidence
Most FELA claims must be filed within three years. Conditions in a yard or on a line change fast, so call early.
Protection when you report
The Federal Railroad Safety Act makes it illegal for a railroad to punish you for reporting an injury or a safety concern.
$33MRecord FELA jury verdict
125+Years of combined experience
4.8Google rating, 44+ reviews
10States of federal court admission
The Firm
Railroad injury lawyers
for workers and passengers.
Hoey, Farina & McMahon represents the men and women who build, run and maintain America’s railroads, and the passengers and families hurt on them. FELA protects railroad workers wherever the railroad put them. Passengers on Amtrak and commuter trains are owed the highest care a railroad can give, and we hold the railroad to it.
Every case is prepared as if it is going to trial. Railroads know which firms actually try cases, and it changes how they negotiate. When the claim agent shows up fast, your lawyer should already be ahead of him.
Talk to an attorneyWilliam J. McMahonPartner · SMART-TD Designated Legal Counsel
Practice Areas
What we take on.
Railroad injury leads the practice: workers, passengers and the families of both. Each claim has its own federal rules, its own deadlines, and its own evidence that disappears first.
Railroad workersFELA Railroad InjuryHurt on the job? FELA is not workers comp. It pays full damages when the railroad failed to keep you safe.Read more 
PassengersTrain & Passenger AccidentsAmtrak, commuter and interstate trains. Railroads owe the people they carry the highest care.Read more 
RetaliationFRSA WhistleblowerDisciplined for reporting an injury or a safety problem? Federal law protects you, with a 180-day deadline.Read more 
Railroad Cancer & Toxic ExposureDiesel exhaust, asbestos, silica and benzene, even after retirement.
Railroad Wrongful DeathAnswers and full accountability for the family, under federal law.
Attorney ReferralsHave a railroad case? We work with lawyers in every state.Beyond the railroad, we are Chicago personal injury attorneys for people across Illinois hurt in truck and car crashes, construction and premises accidents, and by medical malpractice. See our Illinois personal injury practice
Results
The record, case by case.
Verdicts and settlements from the firm’s own case results. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
01 / 06 · Record FELA verdictAdditional results
- $2,331,000
- $2,300,000
- $2,011,000
- $1,850,000
- $1,500,000
- $1,390,000
- $1,100,000
- $430,382
Union Designated Counsel
Trusted by the unions that represent railroaders.
William McMahon is SMART-TD Designated Legal Counsel, appointed to represent the injured members of one of the largest rail unions in the country.
We represent railroaders across the crafts, including members of
- SMART-TD
- BLET
- BMWE
- BRS
- IAM
- IBEW
- NCFO
- SMWIA
- TCU
Railroads · Schedule
Every Class I railroad, coast to coast.
FELA is federal law, so it follows you onto every line in the country. We represent railroaders hurt on all six Class I freight railroads, and passengers and crews on Amtrak.
No.RailroadWho we representRoute miles
01
BNSF RailwayWestern U.S., west of ChicagoEmployees · FELA~32,50002
Union PacificWestern U.S., west of ChicagoEmployees · FELA~32,00003
AmtrakNational passenger railPassengers · Employees~21,40004
CSX TransportationEastern U.S.Employees · FELA~20,00005
Canadian NationalCanada, and Chicago to the GulfEmployees · FELA~20,00006
CPKCCanada, the U.S. Midwest and MexicoEmployees · FELA~20,00007
Norfolk SouthernEastern U.S.Employees · FELA~19,500Approximate route miles from published network figures; CN and CPKC include their lines in Canada and Mexico. Plus regional, short line and commuter railroads. Hoey, Farina & McMahon is not affiliated with any railroad.
Our Attorneys
The counsel rail unions appoint and railroads remember.
Client Experiences
Real people. Real results.
4.8 stars across 44+ Google reviews from the people the firm has represented.
“Your involvement with the N.S. Railroad on our behalf has allowed me to concentrate on the recovery of my health…”
“…courtesy respect & understanding throughout my whole ordeal, and for that I will always be eternally grateful.”
“We put all our trust in your firm and felt that we truly had a caring and helping hand every step of the way.”
“You always made us feel at ease and in the loop with what was going on with our case.”
★★★★★
“Professional, compassionate, loyal, attentive and I was Impressed with the outcome.”
★★★★★
“He and his staff always returned calls or responded to emails right away.”
★★★★★
“He’s the type of attorney you want by your side, every step of the way.”
“Thank you for being such a terrific person and a tremendous attorney.”
★★★★★
“His care, concern and expertise helped me put my life back on track.”
“…making sure I wasn’t swept under the rug by the railroad.”
★★★★★
“William heard our concerns, had a plan and took action.”
★★★★★
“I wish I had found him in the beginning of my case.”
“You did a wonderful job leaving no rock unturned.”
“Thanks for being in my corner.”
Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Railroad Injury Questions
Straight answers before you sign anything.
Questions injured railroaders and their families ask us most.
What is FELA, and how is it different from workers comp?
The Federal Employers Liability Act covers railroad workers instead of state workers compensation. A FELA claim can recover full damages, including pain and suffering and full lost wages, when the railroad’s negligence played any part in your injury.
I was hurt as a passenger on a train. Do I have a case?
You may. Railroads that carry passengers, including Amtrak and commuter lines, owe them the highest degree of care. If a derailment, a collision, a sudden stop or an unsafe platform caused your injury, the railroad may owe your medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering. A free evaluation tells you where you stand.
Do I have to live in Illinois to work with you?
No. FELA is federal law, and we represent injured railroaders and their families across the country, wherever the railroad put you to work.
How long do I have to file a FELA claim?
Generally three years from the date of injury, or from when you knew an illness was connected to your work. Evidence disappears much faster than that, so talking to a lawyer early protects your claim.
Should I give a statement to the railroad’s claim agent?
Talk to a lawyer before you give a recorded statement or sign anything. The claim agent works for the railroad, and what you say in the first days can shape your entire claim.
Can the railroad retaliate against me for reporting an injury?
No. The Federal Railroad Safety Act prohibits railroads from retaliating against workers who report an injury or a safety concern, or who follow their doctor’s orders. If it happens anyway, you may have a separate claim.
What does it cost to talk to you?
Nothing. Your case evaluation is free and confidential, and injury cases are handled on a contingency fee. No win, no fee, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you.
Straight Track · Latest articles
The latest from Straight Track.
New articles from the firm on FELA claims, railroad safety and the court decisions behind them.
Train AccidentsTrain Accident Lawyer for Amtrak Passengers and FamiliesHurt on Amtrak? See how a train accident lawyer handles passenger claims, shared liability and the FAST Act cap. Call for a free consultation at (888) 425-1212.Read the article FELA Law FirmHow a FELA Case Works From the First Week to a VerdictHow a FELA case works after a railroad injury, from the injury report and claim agent to filing, settlement or trial. Request a Free Case Evaluation now.Read the article FELA Law FirmFELA Statute of Limitations What Every Injured Railroad Worker Must KnowThe FELA statute of limitations gives railroad workers three years to sue. See when the clock starts, the narrow exceptions, and get a free case evaluation.Read the article
All 117 articles 
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