Pre-settlement funding for FELA railway worker plaintiffs.
Claims under the Federal Employers' Liability Act for railroad workers injured on the job. Non-recourse advances for qualifying FELA plaintiffs.
The Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA) is the exclusive remedy for railroad workers injured in the course of their employment. Unlike state workers' compensation systems, FELA requires proving railroad negligence — but applies a reduced comparative fault standard and allows recovery for pain and suffering. FELA cases often involve injuries from equipment failures, repetitive stress, chemical exposure, and inadequate safety measures. Cases are handled exclusively in federal or state courts by specialized railroad injury attorneys.
Not every claim is a fit for funding. The factors below are the ones our underwriting team weighs most heavily when evaluating this case type. Meeting them does not guarantee approval, but it indicates a claim well-suited for a pre-settlement advance.
FELA underwriting evaluates the negligence evidence against the documented injury, applying the statute's favorable comparative-fault standard, under which recovery is reduced but not barred by the worker's own fault. We assess the railroad safety-violation evidence and the injury severity, then model expected recovery against outcome data for comparable FELA matters. Railroad defendants are well-resourced, so collectability is rarely the constraint.
FELA claims typically resolve within 18 to 36 months given the specialized discovery and the railroad's defense posture.