Who is covered under FELA?
FELA applies to any railroad employee without workers’ compensation coverage who was injured due to the railroad’s carelessness, as long as the railroad is engaged in interstate commerce. A railroad is considered engaged in interstate commerce if it ships freight or people across state lines, has rails that cross state lines or otherwise somehow does business in more than one state. Even if a railroad isn’t engaged in interstate commerce, its employees may still be able to sue under Missouri’s general personal injury laws.
