REPORTING AN INJURY
The best approach is to file an injury report on the date of injury or as soon as you realize you are injured, even if you are unsure how badly you are hurt and do not desire medical attention at this time. Even if you do not need to seek medical attention, you have complied with the rules and protected yourself in the even that the symptoms worsen or intensify with time. The railroad will not usually respond negatively to an injury report until it becomes “FRA reportable,” and the act of completing the injury report does not, by itself, make the injury reportable.
SURVEILLANCE AT WORK
If you are injured at work, always remember in this age of technology that the railroad has both Inward and Outward Facing Locomotive Cameras, cameras strategically placed in many yards, crew rooms, vehicles and also utilizes video footage from customers and third party cameras to obtain information. In other words, the majority of an employee’s time on duty is under some type of video surveillance. Always keep this thought in the forefront when providing a statement of facts to the railroad relating to your injury. Additionally, following an injury, expect the railroad special agents (police) to watch and record your activities. Surveillance can occur at any time, especially when a claim agent does not believe the worker is badly injured or he refuses to see a “company doctor.” If a surveillance team enters your property, call the local police.
