The Company says that the first thing you should do is report your injury. I agree that you must follow Company policy and report your accident as soon as possible, but there may be some other things you should do, as well.
If your injury was caused by a mechanical defect on a car, locomotive, switch, tool or other piece of equipment, you should point that defect out to a fellow employee. Make sure that they examine the defective equipment and make a note of their findings.
The same thing is true if your injury was caused because of bad footing, either on the right of way, somewhere else on the property or, perhaps, on a locomotive walkway. Show a fellow employee the oil you slipped in or the hole that caused you to fall.
Your accident may have been caused by an object in the tow path. It could be scrap that fell off of a passing train or a tie plate left carelessly by another employee. Show the item to a co-worker and have him/her note the location of the item. One of you, your co-worker or yourself, should pick up the item that caused you to fall. The item should be removed from any tow path or walkway for two reasons; so that no one else is subjected to that particular hazard and to preserve the object for future reference.
Note the lighting in the area of your accident and, if it is poor, or if overhead lights that should be operating are not, point that out to your fellow employees, the person you report the accident to and note it on your accident report.
You should contact your local union representative as soon as possible and make him/her aware of the accident and what caused it. Your union representative can give you some initial advice on how to deal with your particular situation.
Regardless of how minor the injury appears at the time of your accident, you should contact your Designated Legal Counsel for a free evaluation of your accident in order to assist you in establishing negligence and to discuss your rights under the law. You should definitely contact your Designated Legal Counsel prior to giving a statement to a railroad claims agent.
There is an old Chinese proverb that says, "Sometimes, little kittens grow up to be ferocious tigers". Well, Grasshopper, I have seen many, so called, minor injuries become major problems down the road. At first, the doctor may treat you for a pulled muscle and you think that you'll be back to work in a couple of weeks. Later it is discovered that you have a blown disc and are facing major surgery and may not be able to return to your regular employment. That is why you must lay the groundwork and cover all of the bases early. Just in case!!
I don't think that every injured employee needs to hire an attorney, but I do believe that every injured railroad employee needs to get some early advice from a qualified FELA attorney when he/she is involved in an accident. There is just too much at stake not to at least discuss the circum-stances of your accident with Designated Legal Counsel and get some free advice.
After all, the people representing the railroad are consulting with their attorneys, why shouldn't you talk to yours?