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.
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 72,596 at the 2008 U.S. census estimate. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills", "The Hill City" and sometimes described as "A City Unto Itself" mostly in reference to the city's historical avoidance of State and Federal entanglements. The 2,122 square mile Metropolitan Statistical Area of Lynchburg is near the geographic center of Virginia and encompasses Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Campbell County, City of Bedford, and the City of Lynchburg. It is the fifth largest MSA in Virginia with a population of 245,809. Other nearby cities include Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Danville. Lynchburg's sister cities are Rueil-Malmaison, France and Glauchau, Germany. Lynchburg is the home of Central Virginia Community College, Liberty University, Lynchburg College, Randolph College, and Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Lynchburg MSA also includes Sweet Briar College. The City of Lynchburg has a relatively good number of highly credited Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. The elementary schools include Heritage, W. M Bass, Linkhorne, Sandusky, Dearington, Paul Munro, Sheffield, T.C. Miller, R.S. Payne, and Perrymont. Lynchburg's middle schools include P.L. Dunbar, Sandusky, and Linkhorne. Lastly, Lynchburg has two very competitive high schools, Heritage High (HHS) and E.C. Glass (ECG). Lynchburg is the regional center for commerce and retail. Industries within the Lynchburg MSA include nuclear technology, pharmaceuticals and material handling. A diversity of small businesses with the region has helped maintain a stable economy and minimized the downturns of the national economy. Reaching as high as 1st place (tied) in 2007, Lynchburg has been within the Top 10 Digital Cities survey for its population since the survey's inception in 2004.