From Slippery Platforms to Dangerous Gaps, We Stand Up for Injured Workers and Passengers

Railroad platforms and stations are supposed to be the “safe” side of the operation the place where passengers board and employees report for duty. In reality, they’re full of hazards: broken or icy platforms, poor lighting, crowding at the edge, unsafe gaps between trains and platforms, malfunctioning doors, and inadequate security.

For workers, those locations are still your “workplace,” and the railroad has a non-delegable duty under FELA to provide a reasonably safe place to work including at stations, customer facilities, and any premises where it sends you as part of your job. For passengers and visitors, railroads and transit agencies owe a high duty of care to keep platforms, stations, and related areas reasonably safe.

When that duty is ignored and someone is seriously injured or killed, we step in to uncover what went wrong and pursue full accountability.

Everyday hazards with catastrophic consequences

On paper, railroads and transit agencies have detailed rules and maintenance plans for stations and platforms. In practice, serious injuries often trace back to simple, preventable conditions:

• Slips, trips & falls – Wet or icy platforms, snow left uncleared, spilled liquids, oil or grease, cracked or heaved concrete, loose tiles, worn yellow edges, and cluttered walkways. Slips, trips and falls are a well-recognized cause of serious injuries in the rail industry, for both workers and the public.
• Dangerous platform edges & gaps – Excessive gaps between train and platform, broken edge boards, misaligned equipment, and lack of clear markings or announcements all of which can lead to falls between the train and platform or onto the tracks.
• Stairs, escalators & elevators – Broken steps, missing handrails, poorly lit stairwells, malfunctioning escalators, and unreliable elevators that cause trips, falls, or trapped passengers.
• Falling objects & overhead hazards – Loose ceiling tiles, light fixtures, signage, or construction materials; falling ice or snow from canopies and overpasses.
• Vehicle & pedestrian conflicts – Poorly designed station drop-offs and parking lots, confusing traffic patterns, and lack of barriers between pedestrians and buses, taxis, or other vehicles.
• Inadequate lighting & visibility – Burned-out lights, dark stairwells, and poorly lit platforms that hide hazards and make it harder for workers and passengers to see edges, steps, or moving trains.
• Security failures and assaults – Inadequate security presence, broken cameras, doors that won’t lock, or failure to address known crime patterns leading to assaults, robberies, and other violent incidents in station areas.