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Straight
Track #231
| A New Year's Resolution:
Keep Your Family Informed
Raymond Keane, Attorney
Hoey & Farina, P.C.
rkeane@hoeyfarina.com
888-425-1212 |
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Many of us make New Year's Resolutions: lose
weight, eat healthy, exercise, quit smoking, spend more time with family
and friends, etc. All promises made to better ourselves. After the first
few weeks of January pass, resolutions tend to be broken: too much time
spent at work instead of at home, lighting up that cigarette and that
triple chocolate cake doesn't look too fattening either (if I don't add
a scoop of ice cream).
A Promise to Your Family
There is one New Year's Resolution, however,
that I believe should be made and kept throughout the whole year and
years to come. It's a promise made not only to ourselves, but to our
family members and friends. If you are injured on the job, make sure
that your family members understand what should be done to protect your
rights under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA), including
instructions to immediately contact Hoey & Farina.
Railroads Won't Take the Initiative For
You
I understand personally how difficult the
situations can be for a spouse or loved one. In 1991, I severely injured
my right hand on the job. My wife was contacted at her workplace in
downtown Chicago, but the railroad gave her no information about my
injury or where I was taken for medical treatment. She drove in a panic
state to several area hospitals trying to find me.
What did I learn from that experience? The
railroad won't give the spouse any details. The railroad does everything
it can to control the injury situation and make time to work on reducing
their liability.
Keep Your Family Informed
Since joining Hoey & Farina, I have been
involved with several cases in which a family member made the initial
call to contact us about the railroader's at work injury. Because the
family member made the call, we met them at the hospital and were able
to help immediately. (See Straight Track
# 183 - Protecting Your Rights at The ER.)
It's beneficial to you and your family
members to know what to do in order to help us secure any evidence and
develop the facts and circumstances of your injury. With your family
members involved, they may be able to give details and insight into the
situation, which will help you - and Hoey & Farina in representing you.
With emotions heightened, it's easy to be
confused and frightened when an injury has occurred. However, as long as
you and your family members have an understanding of what to do if you
are injured on the job, the situation can be handled with less stress to
your family. Sometimes this is as simple knowing who to turn to for
help. At Hoey & Farina, we are available 24 hours a day at (888)
425-1212 to respond to your emergency situations and answer your
questions.
One New Year's Resolution Worth Keeping
If there is just one New Year's Resolution
worth keeping, make it this – Keep Your Family Informed about your
rights under the FELA. Your family will thank you.
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