DOL Orders Metro North Railroad to Pay $80,500 in Punitive Damages and Attorney’s Fees to Whistleblower

The U.S. Department of Labor held that Metro North Commuter Railroad Co. retaliated against a whistleblower who reported an injury and filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and ordered Metro North to

• expunge the whistleblower’s records of any retaliatory reviews,
• pay $75,000 in punitive damages to the whistleblower,
• pay $5,500 in attorney’s fees to the whistleblower, and
• educate its employees about the right to report on-the-job injuries under the Federal Railroad Safety Act.

Metro North, which provides commuter rail service in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, unlawfully disciplined the whistleblower following his report to OSHA.  Under the Federal Railroad Safety Act, employees of a railroad carrier and its contractors and subcontractors are protected against retaliation for reporting on-the-job injuries, reporting safety violations, and cooperating with investigations by OSHA.  For more information about the Federal Railroad Safety Act, click here.

Tagged: Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA), Whistleblower Laws (Federal)