Railroad worker injuries are covered under the Federal Employees Liability Act which requires that a railroad maintains their fleet, ensuring that their trains are in good working order and free of defects. If a railroad does not comply with these standards, they may be liable for injuries to their workers. Damages railroad workers may receive include medical treatments, present and future lost wages and mental trauma. An injury on the railway can range from a minor sprain to a spinal injury so severe that it leads to death. Some of the most common injuries that affect railway workers are head trauma, knee injuries, back injuries, neck injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, brain trauma or spinal cord injuries. The Federal Employees Liability Act protects railroad workers and others as diverse as clerical employees whose day-to-day functions do not directly involve trains or outdoor activity.
Piedmont is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. Piedmont lies in the Racetrack or Red Valley which circles most of the Black Hills. Piedmont takes its name from the French words pied (foot) and mont (mountain) and the fact that the town lies at a point where the Black Hills rise particularly abruptly from the Red Valley. Although newly incorporated (since July 2008), Piedmont has been inhabited since the coming of the railroad in the 1800s. Piedmont is mostly a bedroom community to nearby Rapid City, but also has construction and forest products businesses nearby. The Piedmont area has experienced three large forest fires since 2003,the Piedmont, Ricco, and Eastridge Fires. In August, 2007 Piedmont experienced a flood rated as a 100-year event in which 6" of rain fell in less than an hour, with runoff exacerbated by the steep terrain burned in the Ricco Fire. The flooding was accompanied by up to baseball-sized hail. Piedmont has been assigned the ZIP Code of 57769.