Federal Employers Liability Act. Passed by Congress in 1908 before there were worker compensation statutes and benefits in this country, this Act applies to railroad workers only. It puts injured workers in a favorable position in terms of liability claims, allowing them to sue the employer for negligence. Because railroad workers and their unions were unwilling to trade their favorable positions for statutory benefits, they remain exempt from compensation laws in many states. Cases are decided on the issue of employer liability.