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In 1908 Congress passed FELA, a comprehensive statute to protect the rights of injured railroad workers and their families. FELA applies to all railroads and their employees. FELA is the exclusive remedy for most claims a railroad employee may have against his employer. A FELA case may be brought in either state or federal court. Employers covered by the FELA have an absolute duty to provide a safe workplace and working environment. FELA protects engineers, brakemen, switchmen, and other railroad employees who are hurt or injured on the job.

Most, if not all Railroad industry jobs are inherently dangerous. You work with lots of moving parts and heavy machinery while under constant pressure to get the job done faster and more efficiently. Common railroad worker injuries include: hearing loss, back and neck injuries, chemical and asbestos exposure, shoulder and knee injuries, amputations, burns, and in many cases, exposure to toxic items.

It is very important for any employee involved in an accident to report the accident or injury immediately. Additionally, it is equally important to identify faulty tools or equipment that contributed to the accident and injury on an appropriate accident report form. Common causes of injury include a loose ballast, too large of ballast causing a fall, vegetation too high that caused a fall, bad equipment, poorly maintained equipment, oil or grease on the ladder or stairs, no flashlight batteries, poorly lit areas at night, having to use the incorrect tool to perform a job, having one man do something it should take two to complete, ice, etc. As you can see there are numerous instances where poor working conditions can lead to a railroad employee accident.

If you are hurt while working for the railroad and are considering hiring a railroad accident attorney, please note that you are not required to hire a union-designated attorney. In fact, there are many reasons why you should hire a non-union attorney to handle your claims.

Choose Your Debt Settlement Attorney Carefully

It could seem to some people that companies who settle debt and attorneys who are experts in the field, provide identical services. Some would argue that one is better than the other, but each have advantages and disadvantages. Its all relative to individual customers situations. At the end, both have the same result… A reduced sum of money is owed to credit card companies.

An attorney will usually want each case to be resolved as quick as possible. Sometimes these cases can tend to drag out and it is in his or her best interest to make the process a speedy one.

Attorneys who specialize in settlements usually take their fee from the debt taken from the original balance owed.

It may be beneficial to hire an attorney who is very familiar with local laws. They may be able to argue certain legal points which might be overlooked and unfamiliar to a national settlement company.

A lawyer familiar with local laws will act quicker to file legal actions against the settlement company with the intention of reinforcing negotiations. If the total debt is over twenty five thousand dollars, and the deb tee wants the balance settled within two years, a debt settlement lawyer may be the best answer to resolving debt issues. A debt settlement company will tend to drag the case out as long as possible. The intention of course is to earn as much interest as possible.

An attorney can be a great asset. Any debts are vulnerable to lawsuits. Your lawyer can strengthen his negotiation power by filing motions to dismiss any lawsuits to slow the process down.

Its up to each customer individually to decide whether they want the services of a personal attorney, or the help of a debt settlement company.