What Does an Injured Railroad Worker Need to Know?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
If you are a Long Island Railroad worker who has been injured on the job, it is important that you speak with an experienced trial attorney who is familiar with railroad terminology, equipment and operations as well as the applicable law. Experienced trial attorney Sean Constable, a former Long Island Railroad Attorney, and now a personal injury trial attorney with Block O’Toole & Murphy, has a keen insight in to the obstacles railroad workers face in our justice system. After all, he handled significant personal injury cases on behalf of the L.I.R.R. for many years. He was the attorney that the L.I.R.R. used to turn to when they needed to win a case. He knows the system and how the railroad operates. Below he provides injured railroad workers with in insider’s view.
Unlike other workers who may be injured on the job, railroad workers are not covered under traditional workers’ compensation laws. More than 100 years ago, the United States Congress enacted the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (“FELA”) in recognition of the unique dangers confronting railroad workers. FELA allows injured railroad workers to sue their employers for negligence. Unlike traditional workers’ compensation, the FELA requires that railroad workers prove that the railroad failed to provide the injured employee with a safe place to work. Railroads are staffed with experienced in-house attorneys and claims agents who are well versed on the law. Investigations begin immediately after the accident, often with the goal of shielding the railroad from fault and to blame the injured worker for the accident. It is imperative that an injured railroad worker speak with an experienced FELA attorney in order to protect your rights, and to make sure that the railroads cannot shift blame for an accident to the person who least deserves it – you. Block O’Toole & Murphy is one of the premier personal injury law firms in the New York metropolitan area. The trial attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy will fight for your rights and have a proven track record of success. Now the firm has an attorney with intimate knowledge how the other side works. A FREE consultation with experienced L.I.R.R. attorney Sean Constable is available to all railroad workers.
The attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy also represent injured railroad workers and their families for accidents which occur off the job. One example is of James Dunne, a retired Long Island Rail Road conductor. Mr. Dunne was struck by a motorist while assisting others at an accident site. As a result of the accident, Mr. Dunne sustained brain damage as a result of the accident. The railroad attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy fought for Mr. Dunne and sustained a verdict of more than $32,000,000, the largest non-medical malpractice verdict ever in Suffolk County.
So if you are a railroad worker who was injured while at work, or through the negligence of another, Block O’Toole & Murphy understands your needs, and will provide you and your family with the support and guidance you will need throughout the litigation process.