The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado recently ordered a Railway to pay damages to a whistleblower who suffered retaliation. The whistleblower received over $1.74 million from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) to cover lost wages, emotional distress, and punitive damages after losing his job for reporting safety concerns.
According to a statement from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the BNSF retaliated against the former employee after they reported track defects. “Railroad employers and owners must comply with the Federal Railway Safety Act, enacted to protect railroad workers who report hazardous safety or security conditions,” said OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Rita Lucero, in Denver, Colorado.
OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of more than 20 whistleblower statutes.