427 W. Dussel Drive, Suite 266
Maumee, OH 43537
Toll Free: (844) LAW-FELA
(844 529-3352)
Phone: (419) 482-1467
Fax: (419) 419-3512
Welcome to FELA.com
(The Federal Employers' Liability Act)
Injury Topics
Whistleblower Issues
Important Information for Spouses / Families
Having represented injured or deceased railroad workers for over 20 years, I am familiar with the stress such an event causes spouses and other family members. I hope some of the points I highlight below will help answers some questions that are most likely causing you concern.
- It is important that you seek confidential advice from a knowledgeable and trusted source. Remember that the railroad’s claim agent who will contact you, has no duty to represent your interests. The claim’s department is just another business unit within the railroad. The primary job of the claim agent is save the railroad as much money as possible and to discourage employees from hiring an attorney. At The Reddy Law Firm, we are happyto discuss your situation free of charge and without obligation. We encourage you to call us before you discuss your case with a railroad claim agent, we will not pressure you into hiring us.
- Should your loved one have to provide a statement to the railroad’s claim agent. In fact, you should consider that, in most cases, an employee fulfills his/her obligations once he/she submits the report of an on duty injury. Any additional information provided by the employee may be sifted through by railroad personnel to look for any “inconsistencies” between the injury report and any subsequent discussions with railroad managers or claim agents. If an inconsistency is spotted, the employee may be brought up on disciplinary charges for providing false or conflicting statements. This could result in the employee being fired and allow the railroad’s lawyers to argue that there can be no claim for future lost earnings because the employee is not working because he/she was fired and not, according to the railroad at least, because of the on duty injury. These comments are not “fear mongering”. Click here for some real life examples.
- Make sure your loved one carries emergency contact information with them at all times while working. This contact information should specify that the contact is to be called immediately in the event of injury. We have represented workers whose spouses were not notified of the injury until hours after the worker was being treated in the emergency room. This delay allows the railroad managers extra time to interview the worker and gather information about his/her medical condition before a spouse arrives to protect the worker from such intrusions during important medical care. We have a handy wallet sized card available identifying any medical conditions, contact information and family physician. If you would like a card for you or your loved one, simply email us with your name, address and type “contact card” in the subject line. We’ll be happy to mail you one.
- If you are notified by a hospital or railroad manager that your loved one has been injured, instruct the caller that you do not want ANY non-medical personnel communicating with him/her until you arrive. Once there, make sure the hospital staff are aware that your loved one is not be disturbed.
- In most cases when a railroad worker is injured, he/she will qualify for sickness benefits through the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). If your loved one is off for more than 5 days you should make sure an application sickness benefits is filed promptly. These payments are relatively small and will have to be paid back if an FELA claim results in an award to the injured worker. This link will take you to the RRB sickness benefit application.
- Some unions provide disability insurance for their injured members. If a loved one is injured you should promptly contact the appropriate union representative to see if your loved one is entitled to disability benefits through his union. These payments may be available for a limited time, and may have to be paid back if an FELA claim results in an award to the injured worker. For examples visit:
Blog & Useful Links
Successful Outcomes
We prepare our cases for trial. Because of this, the vast majority of our cases are resolved outside of court. Due to the dollar amounts involved, the railroads have conditioned these settlements on confidentiality clauses. Although we would prefer that the settlement amounts be matters of public record, we also recognize that our clients have the absolute right to accept confidentiality in exchange for the financial security that comes with a fair settlement. Because of these agreements, we cannot publish the recoveries obtained by most of the clients represented by The Reddy Law Firm.
Below are a few examples of the outcomes we've achieved, and client testimonials.
This is our mission:
Our mission is to inform and protect hard working railroaders and their families. Injured railroaders are not protected by, and will not receive workers’ compensation benefits. Our"Claim agents work hard to protect the railroad. We’re here to protect you." experience shows this: railroads will not accept responsibility for an employee injury unless they have to. As soon as an injury occurs, railroad management and claims department teams rally forces to avoid financial responsibility and look for ways to blame the injured worker. We are here to balance the scales and restore fairness. You and your family ought to have nothing less. We are committed to using our knowledge, skills, and experience to provide the legal protections our clients and their families deserve.
This is how we achieve it:
We like being trial attorneys and we prepare for trial. Railroads rejoice when a worker hires a law firm that they believe will sit back, not adequately prepare for trial, and all along plan on settling. Railroads know that is not how we operate and they do not smile when we take a case. To be sure, many times settlement is the wise option. In fact, the vast majority of our clients choose to accept the settlement offers we obtain. But, when negotiations are not fair and we say we’ll try the case for our client, we’re not bluffing and the railroad knows it.
We will not dodge your calls. Perhaps the most common complaint we hear about lawyers is that they will not return phone calls. Understandably, there are times when a lawyer may not be available at the precise time you call, but that shouldn’t mean phone calls go unanswered. We insist that client calls be returned as soon as possible. In fact we’ll go a step further. Our clients will be given the cell phone number of the lawyer(s) assigned to their case (our competitors do not like this). If necessary, you will be able to talk to us outside of regular business hours. You are on call 24/7, we can be too.
We will not accept mediocrity for our clients. We want a lasting relationship with our clients. To achieve this, we realize we have to go beyond just “acceptable” levels of service. We will come to a potential client’s home or anywhere else convenient for a free, no pressure, and no obligation consultation. The issues in your case will be explained to you and your questions answered. Should you hire us you, will be kept informed throughout the process. You will not be charged attorney fees unless you are paid a settlement or verdict. When your case is resolved, we will not be happy unless you feel you would recommend us to a family member or friend.
Our clients, not us, decide whether to accept a settlement or not. We do not accept, and will not tolerate clients being unfairly pressured into either accepting a settlement or proceeding to trial if that is not what they want to do. We will offer counsel and answer all questions, but our clients own their cases, we don’t. In the end, the decision is yours-no exceptions.
Our Federal Employers’ Liability Act litigation team is led by Brian Reddy. Brian will play an active role in working your case and keeping you fully informed.
Disclaimer - Please Read. Attorney Advertising. Prior Results Do Not Guarantee a Similar Outcome. Each case or claim must be evaluated on its own merits. The FELA.com website does not offer legal advice. All of the material within www.FELA.com™ is provided for informational purposes only, it is not legal advice and should not be construed or used as such. This text is not to be substituted for legal advice from a licensed attorney. Use of this website does not constitute the forming of an attorney-client relationship. You may only retain an attorney at The Reddy Law Firm by entering into a written retainer agreement that is signed by both the attorney and the client. However, any communications you have with The Reddy Law Firm will be treated confidentially to the extent allowed by law. Acting upon the information in this site without the advice of a lawyer is not recommended. Attorney Brian Reddy is licensed to practice law in Ohio and New York. In other states we work with and co-counsel with other attorneys to evaluate claims and will promptly associate with an in-state attorney if required. Please read the Terms and Conditions page for this website for important information on many topics including privacy, confidentiality and legal representation. The Reddy Law Firm, 427 W. Dussel Drive, Suite 266, Maumee, Ohio 43537, phone: 419 482 1467 is responsible for this website.
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