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Altier & Vogt LLC
Only a law firm knowledgeable in the workings of the railroad industry, their contracts, medical and pension benefits, and one willing to invest the necessary time and money, can adequately represent a railroad employee.
Many railroad workers have been led to believe that when a worker is hurt on the job he is entitled only to “compensation.” Most railroad Claim Agents usually tell the injured worker that “compensation” is only a percentage of the time or wages lost. This is not true. The idea that an injured railroad worker is entitled only to wages lost is not only false, but proves costly to the worker and his family. The fact of the matter is that railroad employees injured through the fault of the carriers are entitled under the law to receive much more than their lost time or wages, if they only knew it.
When an employee of an interstate railroad is injured (or killed) at work, he or his survivors come under the protection of a law of Congress known as the Federal Employer’s Liability Act (FELA). Under this Act, an injured railroad worker is entitled to recover not only the time or wages lost, but to be paid in addition, all of his expenses for medical treatment, for pain and suffering, and for any permanent injury, whether partial or total. Our attorneys have many years experience handling cases that come under the FELA law. It is only a with an experienced FELA attorney that a railroad worker can be assured that he is being properly represented.
As a railroad employee, you are afforded many protections of which you may be unaware. Direct, underrepresented negotiations with the railroad’s claim department is very risky. The earlier you contact us, the earlier your job is protected, the earlier your case is investigated, and if necessary, the earlier a lawsuit is initiated. The same law that gives you the right to sue your employer also protects you from any harassment, discipline or discrimination because you hire an attorney to properly prosecute your case. Putting yourself exclusively in the hands of the claim department is not wise as is evidenced by this story:
An Amtrak machinist was injured on the job and was soon contacted by an Amtrak claim’s rep. For three years, the injured worker negotiated for himself – without the help of an attorney. At one point in the negotiations, the claim’s rep offered the injured employee $60,000 to settle his claim. Before the employee accepted this offer, the three year statute of limitations* had expired and the offer was withdrawn.
One week later the machinist came to Altier & Vogt LLC. His case was immediately put into suit, even though we knew that the railroad was going to assert the defense that the Statute of Limitations had expired. We argued that the machinist had been misled and taken advantage of by the claim’s rep. Altier & Vogt LLC settled the machinist case for more than he had been offered. We would have been able to get much more money had we not faced the Statute of Limitations problem.
Don’t let what happened to the Amtrak machinist happen to you! Contact us, your local FELA firm, as soon as possible so that your rights are protected!
We have succeeded in cases where other attorneys have abandoned, We are not afraid of a hard fight. We strive to put the best of our clients first.
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