Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. have filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Sunflower County, Mississippi, against Illinois Central Railroad Company, doing business as CN (Canadian National Railway), on behalf of a locomotive engineer who was seriously injured when the train he was operating struck large trees and debris that CN had negligently allowed to obstruct the tracks. The lawsuit asserts claims under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), alleging that CN’s failure to conduct proper track inspections and maintain safe operating conditions directly caused the collision and the engineer’s resulting injuries.
Locomotive engineers are responsible for the safe operation of trains carrying freight and personnel across thousands of miles of track. They depend on their employer to maintain those tracks — and the right-of-way along them — in a condition that allows for safe travel. When a railroad fails to inspect its tracks and remove foreseeable obstructions, it puts its engineers and crew members in the path of preventable danger. This case is a direct result of that kind of institutional failure.
Firms Representing the Injured Engineer: Doyle Dennis Avery LLP (Michael P. Doyle, Patrick M. Dennis, Jeff Avery) and Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. Together, these firms have recovered millions for injured workers across the country.
The May 17, 2025 Collision in Sunflower County, Mississippi
On May 17, 2025, our client was operating a locomotive through Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the course and scope of his employment as an engineer for CN. What should have been a routine run turned catastrophic when the train encountered a massive obstruction on the tracks — large trees and significant debris that had fallen across or onto the rail corridor.
These were not small branches that could go unnoticed. The trees and debris covering the tracks were large enough to be visible during a proper track inspection. CN’s inspection program — whether due to inadequate frequency, inadequate thoroughness, or both — failed to identify and address this obstruction before our client’s train reached it.
Despite efforts to slow the train upon sighting the obstruction, the locomotive collided with the trees and debris. The impact subjected our client to sudden, violent forces. He sustained serious injuries to his lower back and left wrist, as well as generalized bodily harm. Lower back injuries can involve disc damage, nerve compression, and structural compromise that requires surgery, long-term physical therapy, and ongoing pain management. Wrist injuries can affect a person’s ability to perform fine motor tasks and can permanently limit occupational capability.
Our client has experienced lasting physical pain, medical expenses, lost wages, and the psychological toll of being involved in a serious train collision. He deserves full compensation for all of these losses, and Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. are committed to securing that for him.
What FELA Requires of Railroads: The Duty to Inspect and Maintain Safe Tracks
The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) imposes a fundamental obligation on every interstate railroad: to exercise reasonable care to provide its employees with a reasonably safe place to work. For locomotive engineers, that safe workplace includes the tracks they operate on. Tracks obstructed by fallen trees, debris, or other hazards are not safe — and a railroad that fails to discover and remove those hazards before they cause a collision is in violation of FELA.
Federal Railroad Administration regulations further require railroads to conduct regular, thorough track inspections to identify and address unsafe conditions. These inspections must be documented, and any identified hazards must be addressed in a timely manner. The inspection requirement exists precisely because conditions along a railroad right-of-way can change — trees can fall, debris can accumulate — and the only way to catch these hazards is to look for them regularly.
CN’s failure to identify the trees and debris obstructing the tracks in Sunflower County before May 17, 2025 demonstrates a failure of its inspection program. Whether the railroad was not inspecting with the required frequency, was not inspecting with the required thoroughness, or was identifying hazards and failing to act on them, the result was the same: a preventable collision that injured one of its own engineers.
Specific Allegations Against CN
The lawsuit filed by Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. sets forth the following specific allegations of negligence against CN:
- Failure to inspect and maintain tracks: CN failed to conduct adequate track inspections with sufficient frequency and thoroughness to identify the trees and debris obstructing the tracks in Sunflower County before the collision.
- Failure to remove dangerous obstructions: Even if CN’s inspection program identified the risk of trees or debris on or near the tracks, the railroad failed to take corrective action to remove the obstruction before it caused a collision.
- Failure to warn employees of known or foreseeable hazards: CN failed to alert its train crews to the existence of potential track obstructions in the affected corridor, depriving our client of the opportunity to reduce speed and prepare for potential hazards before encountering them.
- Failure to implement and follow proper safety procedures: CN failed to establish and enforce a safety management system that would have identified and responded to the track obstruction in a timely manner.
- Failure to properly train and supervise track maintenance personnel: The employees responsible for track inspection and maintenance were not adequately trained or supervised to ensure compliance with federal safety requirements and CN’s own internal standards.
The Physical and Personal Toll on Our Client
A train collision is a violent, traumatic event. Even when a crew member is fortunate enough to survive without life-threatening injuries, the physical and psychological consequences can be severe and long-lasting. Our client suffered injuries to his lower back and left wrist — injuries that, depending on their severity, can require surgical intervention, extended rehabilitation, and permanent accommodations to daily activities and work responsibilities.
The psychological impact of a train collision should not be minimized either. FELA recognizes mental anguish as a compensable element of damages, and for good reason. Being at the controls of a locomotive when it strikes an obstruction — being unable to stop in time despite best efforts — is a traumatic experience that can result in post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and other psychological conditions that affect quality of life long after the physical injuries have healed.
Our client is also facing the economic consequences of his injuries: lost wages during recovery, potential loss of future earning capacity if his injuries affect his ability to continue working as an engineer, and the ongoing costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation. The lawsuit seeks full compensation for all of these damages — economic and non-economic — as allowed under FELA.
The Firms’ Commitment to Injured Railroad Workers
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. have built their practices on representing injured railroad workers with the same tenacity, preparation, and commitment that the largest railroads deploy to defend against these claims. FELA litigation against major rail carriers like CN requires deep knowledge of railroad operations, federal safety regulations, and the specific tactics these companies use to minimize their liability.
With millions recovered for injured clients, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has the track record to speak for itself. And with Sara Youngdahl’s specialized focus on railroad law, clients in complex FELA cases like this one benefit from a team with the precise expertise their case demands. Both firms work on a No Win, No Fee basis, so there is no financial barrier to accessing this level of representation.
Were you or a family member injured in a railroad accident? Call now for a free, confidential consultation.
(713) 571-1146Frequently Asked Questions: FELA Claims After Train Collisions
Yes. The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) specifically authorizes railroad workers — including locomotive engineers — to sue their employers for injuries caused by the railroad’s negligence. FELA applies even when the railroad is the employer. The only requirement is that the railroad’s negligence played some role, however small, in causing the injury. In a collision caused by a track obstruction that the railroad failed to identify and remove, the railroad’s negligence is clear and direct.
Generally, yes — when the railroad knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to address it. Railroads have a legal obligation to inspect their tracks and right-of-way at regular intervals and to remove obstructions that pose a risk to safe train operation. Trees near railroad rights-of-way are a well-known hazard, and railroads are expected to monitor them and remove those that pose a risk of falling onto tracks. When a railroad’s inspection program fails to identify a tree obstruction that a reasonable inspection would have caught, the railroad can be held liable under FELA for injuries resulting from a collision with that obstruction.
FELA is a fault-based federal law that allows railroad workers to sue their employers for the full range of damages — including pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of earning capacity — when the railroad’s negligence contributes to an injury. Workers’ compensation, by contrast, is a no-fault system that pays fixed, limited benefits regardless of who was at fault, but does not include pain and suffering damages. FELA typically allows injured railroad workers to recover significantly more than they would under workers’ comp, which is why it is so important to have experienced FELA counsel.
Under FELA’s comparative fault system, a worker can still recover even if they were partially at fault for their own injury. The worker’s damages are reduced by the percentage of fault attributable to them, but they are not barred from recovery entirely. For example, if a jury finds that a worker was 15% at fault and awards $800,000 in damages, the worker would recover $680,000. In most collision cases caused by track obstructions, however, it is difficult for the railroad to attribute meaningful fault to the engineer who had no way to stop in time.
The statute of limitations under FELA is three years from the date of the injury. This is a firm deadline — if you miss it, you lose your right to any compensation. Because evidence in these cases can disappear quickly and because building a strong FELA case takes time, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after a railroad injury, even if you are still receiving medical treatment.
FELA allows recovery for the full scope of harm caused by the injury, including: all past and future medical expenses (surgery, physical therapy, medications, assistive devices), wages lost during recovery and any future lost earning capacity if the injury affects your ability to work, physical pain and suffering (both past and future), mental anguish including anxiety, PTSD, and other psychological effects of the collision, permanent impairment or disability, and loss of enjoyment of life. There is no cap on FELA damages, so the full extent of your losses can be pursued.
This is a common defense railroads attempt to raise in obstruction cases. However, the “act of God” defense does not apply when the railroad knew or should have known about the risk and failed to take reasonable precautions. If a railroad is required to inspect its tracks and right-of-way and fails to identify a tree that was already in a dangerous condition before it fell — or fails to remove debris that had accumulated over time — the railroad cannot escape liability simply by characterizing the result as an act of nature. An experienced FELA attorney can effectively counter this defense.
Very important — for several reasons. First, evidence can be lost or destroyed quickly. Railroads may repair the track, remove debris, and alter the scene within hours or days of an incident. Second, witness memories fade over time. Third, the railroad’s claims department will begin building its defense immediately after the incident — often before the injured worker has even left the hospital. Having an attorney who can immediately begin investigating, preserving evidence, and documenting the scene is critical to building the strongest possible case.
Yes. FELA allows recovery for mental anguish and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression arising from a workplace injury or traumatic incident. For locomotive engineers who have experienced a train collision, these psychological effects can be just as debilitating as physical injuries — affecting sleep, daily functioning, the ability to return to work, and relationships. An experienced FELA attorney will ensure that the psychological dimension of your injuries is fully documented and included in your damages claim.
These firms bring together millions in recoveries for injured clients, deep specialization in FELA railroad law, and a personal commitment to each client’s case. Attorneys Michael P. Doyle, Patrick M. Dennis, and Jeff Avery of Doyle Dennis Avery LLP, together with Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C., have the knowledge and resources to take on the largest railroads in the country. They handle cases on a No Win, No Fee basis, and initial consultations are free and confidential.
FELA is a federal law that applies nationwide. Cases can be filed in state or federal court in the jurisdiction where the injury occurred, where the railroad does business, or in certain other venues permitted by law. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. represent injured railroad workers across the country, including in cases filed in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and other states. Where your injury occurred does not limit your ability to work with these firms.
Injured in a Railroad Accident? Our Team Is Ready to Help.
If you or a loved one has been injured while working for CN, Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, or any other railroad, contact Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. now. No Win, No Fee — and your first consultation is always free.