Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. have filed a lawsuit in Harris County, Texas against Union Pacific Railroad Company on behalf of a railroad conductor who suffered serious injuries when a defective brake stick shattered during routine operations at Union Pacific’s Settegast Yard in Houston. The lawsuit asserts claims under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) and the Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSAA), holding Union Pacific accountable for failing to provide a safe workplace and properly maintained equipment.

Railroad work is one of the most physically demanding and hazardous occupations in the country. When the railroads that employ these dedicated workers fail to maintain safe equipment and follow federal safety standards, the consequences can be devastating — and the law provides a path to justice. This case is a powerful example of why FELA exists: to protect railroad workers when their employers prioritize cost-cutting over worker safety.

What Happened: The January 2, 2026 Incident at Settegast Yard

On the morning of January 2, 2026, our client — an experienced railroad conductor employed by Union Pacific — was performing her routine duties at Union Pacific’s Settegast Yard in Houston, Texas. After bringing a train into the yard, she was tasked with securing railcars by applying their handbrakes, a standard and repetitive part of a conductor’s daily work.

To complete this task, she used a brake stick — a hand tool provided by Union Pacific specifically for this purpose. While using the brake stick to tie down one of the railcar handbrakes, the top portion of the tool broke apart without warning and slipped off the handbrake mechanism. The sudden, violent failure of the brake stick caused her to lose balance and fall backward to the ground.

The impact was severe. She struck her head on the ground and sustained injuries to her head, back, neck, shoulder, and hip. She required immediate medical attention and has since undergone ongoing treatment. The injuries have significantly affected her ability to continue working as a railroad conductor and have impacted her daily life, her ability to care for herself, and her financial stability.

This was not an unavoidable accident. The brake stick should never have been in service in that condition. Union Pacific’s failure to inspect, test, and replace worn or defective tools directly caused this injury — and under federal law, that failure carries serious legal consequences.

Understanding FELA: The Federal Employers’ Liability Act

Unlike most workers in America, railroad employees are not covered by state workers’ compensation systems. Instead, Congress enacted the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) in 1908 specifically to protect workers in the railroad industry. FELA is a fault-based system — not a no-fault workers’ comp system — which means injured railroad workers must demonstrate that their employer’s negligence contributed to their injuries.

However, FELA uses a very favorable comparative fault standard. Even if a worker is partially at fault for their own injury, they can still recover damages — reduced proportionally by their degree of fault. More importantly, if the railroad violated a federal safety statute, the railroad bears full liability regardless of any contributory negligence by the worker.

FELA allows injured railroad workers to recover compensation for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and emotional distress
• Permanent physical impairment or disability
• Loss of enjoyment of life

The statute of limitations under FELA is three years from the date of injury, which is shorter than many state personal injury statutes. This makes it critical to consult an experienced FELA attorney as soon as possible after a railroad workplace injury.

The Federal Safety Appliance Act and Defective Railroad Equipment

In addition to FELA, the lawsuit asserts claims under the Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSAA), a companion statute that mandates railroads maintain properly functioning safety equipment. The FSAA establishes specific requirements for handbrakes, couplers, and related equipment on railcars. When a railroad violates the FSAA, they are strictly liable — meaning injured workers do not need to separately prove the railroad was negligent. The violation of the statute itself establishes liability.

Brake sticks and handbrake mechanisms are central to the safe operation of a rail yard. They are used dozens of times per shift and must be maintained to rigorous standards. A brake stick that fractures without warning — as happened here — represents a fundamental failure of equipment maintenance that endangers every worker who uses it. Union Pacific’s failure to inspect this tool before it was provided to its employees is exactly the type of conduct the FSAA was designed to prevent and penalize.

Specific Allegations Against Union Pacific

The lawsuit filed by Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. sets forth multiple bases of liability against Union Pacific, including:

• Failure to provide a safe workplace: FELA requires railroads to exercise reasonable care to provide a safe work environment. Union Pacific failed to meet this standard by permitting defective equipment to remain in service at Settegast Yard.
• Failure to inspect and maintain the brake stick: Union Pacific had a duty to regularly inspect, test, and replace tools provided to its employees. The failed brake stick showed a defect that a proper inspection would have identified.
• Failure to inspect and maintain the railcar handbrake: The handbrake mechanism itself may have contributed to the tool failure. Proper inspection and maintenance of both components is required under federal law.
• Failure to implement adequate safety procedures: Union Pacific failed to establish and enforce appropriate procedures for tool inspection, safe use, and replacement intervals.
• Violations of the Federal Safety Appliance Act: The defective condition of the handbrake equipment constitutes a direct violation of federal safety standards, making Union Pacific strictly liable for the resulting injury.

The Impact on Our Client

The physical consequences of this incident have been far-reaching and ongoing. Our client sustained injuries to multiple areas of her body — her head, back, neck, shoulder, and hip — all from a single fall caused by equipment that Union Pacific should have taken out of service. Head injuries in particular can carry long-term neurological effects that are not always immediately apparent, and injuries to the neck, back, and shoulder can require surgery, physical therapy, and years of treatment.

Beyond the physical pain, our client has experienced significant mental anguish. Railroad work is more than a job for many who choose it — it is a career, an identity, and a source of financial security for their families. When an injury threatens a worker’s ability to remain in that career, it affects every aspect of their life. The lost wages during recovery, the mounting medical bills, and the uncertainty about the future create a profound financial and emotional burden.

Our client should not have to bear these burdens alone. Union Pacific, one of the nation’s largest and most profitable railroads, had both the resources and the legal obligation to provide its workers with safe tools and a safe workplace. When it failed to do so, it became legally and morally responsible for the consequences.

Why Experienced FELA Representation Matters

FELA cases are fundamentally different from ordinary personal injury claims. The law has unique procedural rules, specific standards of proof, and requires deep knowledge of railroad operations, federal regulations, and industry safety standards. Insurance adjusters and railroad company representatives are highly trained to minimize payouts to injured workers, often contacting them shortly after an injury to offer quick — and far too low — settlements.

Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. are among the most experienced FELA attorneys in the nation. With millions recovered on behalf of injured railroad workers, these firms understand exactly what it takes to build a winning case against major railroads like Union Pacific. From gathering evidence at the accident scene to retaining expert witnesses who can testify about industry safety standards, these firms leave nothing to chance when fighting for their clients.

The No Win, No Fee commitment means that injured railroad workers can access top-tier legal representation without any upfront cost. If the firm doesn’t recover for you, you owe nothing in attorney’s fees.

About Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C.

Doyle Dennis Avery LLP — led by attorneys Michael P. Doyle, Patrick M. Dennis, and Jeff Avery — is a nationally recognized personal injury firm specializing in railroad worker injuries under FELA. The firm has recovered millions for its clients and has a long track record of holding major rail carriers accountable for unsafe working conditions, defective equipment, and violations of federal safety law.

Sara Youngdahl of The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. brings specialized expertise in railroad law to the co-counsel relationship. Together, these firms offer injured railroad workers the depth of legal knowledge, the resources to litigate against the largest railroads in the country, and the personal commitment to see each case through to the best possible outcome.

Both firms operate on a contingency fee basis — you pay no attorney’s fees unless they win your case. To discuss your rights under FELA, call (713) 571-1146 or toll-free at (888) 571-1001.