Railroad employees are governed by the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA).  This act was passed in 1908 by Congress to address the epiemic number of work-related injuries and deaths in the rairoad industry.  Under FELA, an injured employee does not receive regular workers’ compensation. In order to be compensated, workers must prove that the railroad company was negligent. Unlike other negligence cases, however, the employer may have to pay even if it is only partly at fault. Even if the worker's own negligence contributes to the railroad injury, the employer may still be required to provide partial compensation if the company bears any responsibility for what happened.