|
The Straight Track Index 2001:
A chronological index of the Hoey & Farina
Newsletter for Railroaders To find
articles:
Sign-up To Receive Straight Track Via Email
STRAIGHT TRACK#95
Protecting The Shove With Your Own Vehicle
Highlights from a letter from a UTU general chairman showing the problems in today's work place during difficult economic times and discussing whether his members are covered under the FELA when using personal vehicles when working for the railroad.
STRAIGHT TRACK#94
Asbestos: Diagnosing and Litigating
We thought it worthwhile to share an article, "Asbestos: How It's Diagnosed In Lungs and Why It's Litigated" from the FELA Reporter and Railroad Liability Monitor, Vol. 14, No. 12, Dec. 2001, Section 1: Current Developments, (p.3).
STRAIGHT TRACK#93
The Year Ahead: 2002
Dillon Hoey, a life long subscriber to Trend Letter, wanted to share excerpts from the insightful group's December 10, 2001 article.
STRAIGHT TRACK#92
The Ludlow Massacre
The struggles by railroaders for safer work conditions, better benefits, etc. are never ending. In our goal of bringing railroaders and their families the latest news and issues that affect their life on the rails, we believe recalling the history of the unions is equally as important.
STRAIGHT TRACK#91
When You Snooze You Lose (Your Rights Concerning Medical Care)
With his permission, we would like to share a letter written by Mark S. Wimmer, BMWE General Chairman for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific System Federation.
STRAIGHT TRACK#90
Why Do Re-Hab Nurses Wear Fishnet Stockings?
Because You're The Catch!
Some advice in the dealings that you may encounter with re-habilitation nurses from someone with the experience of 15 years of railroading and 11 years working as an investigator on
FELA cases.
STRAIGHT TRACK#89
Hurt, Broke and Fired!
Whether you’ve been on the railroad thirty days or thirty years, I am sure you have come to the realization that the railroad’s policy is to use discipline to control their employees. You have heard it said many times among the rank and file, “It’s the only place in the world where the railroad tries to fire you from the day they hire
you.”
STRAIGHT TRACK#88
A $25,000 Charitable Matching Fund
Two weeks ago we issued a call for readers' input for ways to respond to the events of September 11 and its aftermath. The response from railroaders and our readers was overwhelming - with unanimous support for the idea of a $25,000 charitable matching fund.
STRAIGHT TRACK #87
Our Steel Driving Hero
The lessons from the legend of John Henry are as important now as ever.
STRAIGHT TRACK #84
Big-Holing Straight Track
We decided “big-holing” Straight Track this week was important because, like so many Americans, we here are searching for a way to respond to the events and aftermath of September 11, and we are asking for our readers
help.
STRAIGHT TRACK #83 & 86
Does The FELA Apply To US Citizens Working In Canada?
Part I | Part II
With the merger/acquisition of various American and Canadian carriers, your union representatives have expressed concern whether a U.S. railroader working in Canada is covered by the FELA.
STRAIGHT TRACK #80, #81 & #82
What Railroaders Should Know About New Drug & Alcohol Testing Rules:
Part I | Part II |
Part III
On August 1, a new Department of Transportation requirement went into effect that requires that pockets must be emptied prior to giving a urine sample for drug testing. This series of
Straight Track highlight the changes and provide some tips on how to protect yourself during the process of alcohol and drug testing.
STRAIGHT TRACK #79
Getting Back To The Business Of Your Rights
With our military on full alert, and our country’s emergency services still attempting to remove the victims and debris in New York and Washington, the topic I am writing about pales in comparison. It seems that we have all been surrounded by tragedy. However, we all need to get back to the business of our lives and work, and this article will deal once again with injuries on a more personal level.
STRAIGHT TRACK #77 & #78
World War Three
Tom Friedman, who wrote From Beirut to Jerusalem and Lexus and the Olive
Tree, wrote an editorial in the New York Times on Thursday September 13, 2001. His insight into the issues of the Middle East is worth sharing.
Our Unfathomable Loss In This First Battle
Like the rest of the world, we are shocked by the sinister attack by terrorists in New York and Washington. Our prayers go out to the victims and their families, and to all the men and women of the police force, military forces, and health departments who right now are fighting an uphill battle to save as many lives as possible.
STRAIGHT TRACK #76
Reporting On Hazards
Formal complaints regarding safety hazards lodged against railroads appear to be having a cumulative effect as indicated by a recent action by OSHA and the FRA demonstrates.
STRAIGHT TRACK #75
The Real Meaning Of Labor Day
Let's see -- end of summer, start of school, football, extra day off, picnics. In so many respects, this is what we regard as Labor Day. So why L-A-B-O-R Day?
STRAIGHT TRACK #74
A Durable Power of What?!?!?!
We have received many questions over the issue of preparing a durable power of attorney form in case you are injured on the railroad. Attorney Frank Van Bree tackles these questions in issue #74.
STRAIGHT TRACK #73
Statute of Limitations
The day that you are hurt, the clock starts ticking. The law provides that every claim must be filed in court within a specified time or the claim is forever lost. Countless injured individuals have never been compensated for serious injuries caused by gross negligence because they waited too long - they let the clock run
out.
STRAIGHT TRACK #72
Empty Your Pockets
On August 1st, we received an email from the general counsel of the UTU, Clint Miller, regarding the Department of Transportation requirement which went into effect August 1st, that pockets must be emptied prior to giving a urine sample for drug testing. With his permission, we thought it would be worthwhile to share Clint's thoughts with you.
STRAIGHT TRACK #71
I've Been Working On The Railroad
It doesn't matter if you're a new hire or a seasoned veteran - educate yourself by attending union meetings where you can find out how you can still enjoy your job while keeping yourself safe in a dangerous
profession.
STRAIGHT TRACK #70
The Diesel Exhaust Threat
Despite being widely known for a number of years, the dangerous health effects of diesel exhaust are only just beginning to be acted upon by various industries.
STRAIGHT TRACK #69
How Many Lawyers Does It Take To...
At Hoey & Farina, it takes ten. Ten lawyers to work as a team to best serve railroaders and their families. Everyone has heard a good attorney joke or two, and everyone has heard the phrase "ambulance chaser". With negative such preconceived notions, it's often a stressful time when it becomes necessary to hire an attorney. In order to help make such a decision easier, your union has "designated" attorneys who are knowledgeable of FELA law and have a proven track record in both successfully advising and representing railroad employees and their families.
STRAIGHT TRACK #68
The Case Against Light Duty
Railroads often times will want a railroader to return back to work on "light duty" after an on-the-job injury. In truth, there is no such thing as light duty when you work for the railroad.
STRAIGHT TRACK #65, #66 & #67
The BMWE Journal (April 2001, Pg. 3) published several health-related articles that we thought our railroad friends and their families could benefit from reading.
STRAIGHT TRACK #64
After Wild Ride, HF&D Snares Victory For Kentucky Railroader
Louis Shepherd, in addition to being a lifelong conductor on the CSX railroad, is one big Winston Cup fan. That’s why after a successful settlement of his case, Mr. Shepherd of Louisville, Kentucky, hand-painted a custom HF&D Winston Cup race car as a gift to his attorney and our firm. We thought this gesture was special enough to share with other railroaders -- not only because we happen to be big fans of stock car racing ourselves – but because Mr. Shepherd’s case is a good example of how our law firm – acting like a NASCAR pit crew – can ably assist in bringing about rock solid
results.
STRAIGHT TRACK #63
Railroaders On Heightened Alert During Peak Lyme Disease Season
Last year the July/August 2000 issue of the BMWE Journal reported on the release of an OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin warning of the risks of Lyme disease to railroaders and others working outdoors. Because the OSHA bulletin stated that ticks are most plentiful during this time of year, and due to the fact that the bulletin noted the 33-fold increase in Lyme disease cases since 1982, we thought it an important work-related health issue that warranted another round of attention.
STRAIGHT TRACK #62
FRA Angle Cock Safety Advisory
As we have stated in the past, one of the oals of our free weekly newsletter Straight Track is to keep railroaders informed of the latest news and information on safety issues. With that in mind, we'd like to share with you the Federal Railroad Administration's "Notice of Safety Advisory: 2001-03" concerning the failure of railroad airbrake system trainline angle cocks manufactured by Ellcon-National.
STRAIGHT TRACK #61
How To Support A Family On $1,000 A Month
In the railroad industry the typical worker earns somewhere between $40,000 - $100,000 a year. Yet under the law, when a railroad worker is off due to sickness or injury, even the combination of disability insurance with the RRB benefits often falls far short of the worker's regular take home pay.
STRAIGHT TRACK #60
A Paper Trail Is Everything
You’ve been injured on the railroad. From our previous editions of Straight
Track, you knew to fill out an injury report that truthfully stated the railroad's negligence, take control of your medical care, and consult right away with us as your designated legal counsel to receive the necessary advice pertaining to your particular set of circumstances. You covered all the basics, but is there anything else you should be
doing?
STRAIGHT TRACK #59
FRA's "Overview of the Railroad Safety Regulatory Program and Standards-Related Partnership Efforts"
STRAIGHT TRACK #58
Hoey & Farina Defeats Norfolk Southern & Association Of American Railroads On Rail Safety Pre-Emption Case
STRAIGHT TRACK #57
Returning To Work While Receiving Railroad Retirement Benefits
After years of hard work, or as a result of an injury, you are receiving annuity benefits from the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. But you might be considering going back to work. Here's some information to help you make a more informed decision and offer you a better understanding of life after retirement on the railroad.
STRAIGHT TRACK #56
Good, Good, Good... Good Vibrations?
It is becoming more and more apparent that railroaders are suffering serious injury due to design and engineering problems in locomotive cab seats and mounting systems that are not nearly so obvious.
STRAIGHT TRACK #55
Debs Was First Rail Trade Unionist To Champion Unity
Eugene V. Debs went to work on his first railroad job at 15 and although in later years his interests turned to politics the railroad fever never left him.
STRAIGHT TRACK #54
Straight Track Continues To Roll
This week marks a substantial milestone for Hoey & Farina. We are celebrating the one-year anniversary of our firm’s free weekly email newsletter.
Straight Track was started after several clients suggested we might more effectively communicate with them via email. Over the past twelve months,
Straight Track’s mission has expanded beyond its original scope of better client
contact.
STRAIGHT TRACK #53
Harassment & Intimidation Of The Injured Railroad Employee
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) representative at the Winter Meetings of the Academy of Rail Labor circulated a handout on the issue of “Harassment and Intimidation.” The reason we’re sharing this with you is that the FRA representative felt that the changes in policy by the railroads were not widely circulated or understood by the
members.
STRAIGHT TRACK #52
New Power Brake Regulations
We recently received a summary analysis by Larry Mann of the new "Power Brake Rule" published by the Federal Railroad Administration which will become effective on April 1, 2001. We believe that the summary of the detailed regulations will be beneficial to those railroad workers governed by these regulations.
STRAIGHT TRACK #51
Recovering For Emotional Distress
Whenever a train and a motor vehicle collide at a grade crossing or a train strikes a pedestrian, the news media usually reports the story as though only the driver or pedestrian was injured. This is not true. Just because the train crew was not transported from the scene in an ambulance doesn’t mean they weren’t
hurt.
STRAIGHT TRACK #49 & #50
Part I: § 60 of the FELA
Recognizing the need to protect injured railroaders, Congress passed § 60 of the FELA, which makes it a federal criminal offense for a railroad officer “by threat, intimidation, order, rule, contract, regulation or device whatsoever” to attempt to prevent any employee from furnishing voluntarily information about an injury to the injured employee, his family or his
attorney.
Part II: § 60 of the
FELA
In Part I, we wrote about the value of section 60 of the FELA, and the broad protection that it provides from railroad interference in voluntarily providing information to interested parties concerning the facts or circumstances of a railroad injury. However, just last week, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote a decision which may significantly restrict the protection provided to your attorneys.
STRAIGHT TRACK #48
Federal Railroad Administration And Surface Transportation Board Join Forces With Hoey, Farina & Downes Against The Norfolk Southern And Association Of American Railroads.
STRAIGHT TRACK #47
Hoey & Farina Valentine Message
The American Heart Association has developed a Web-based heart attack and stroke prevention program that uses individually tailored messages to help users change behaviors that put them at risk.
STRAIGHT TRACK #46
Family Members Seminar And The People A Part Of Them
On February 17, 2001 our office will be sponsoring another Family Members Seminar. This seminar will be held at the American Legion Post No. 187, located at 310 W. Butterfield Road, Elmhurst, Illinois.
STRAIGHT TRACK #45
Is This The Same Railroad I Have Been Working For?
Vocational Rehabilitation And Those “Too Good To Be True” Offers Which Really Are “Too Good To Be
True”
STRAIGHT TRACK #44
Should You Take Health Advice From Drug Ads?
The following is another in a series of health-related articles that have been featured in Straight Track.
STRAIGHT TRACK #43
Dealing Fairly With The Claim Agent
When it comes right down to it, most railroad workers are loyal employees with a good work ethic. Unfortunately, when a railroad worker is injured on the job it is his sense of loyalty, combined with his lack of understanding of the FELA law, that sets him up to be "railroaded" by the claim agent.
STRAIGHT TRACK #42
Straight Ahead Into 2001
Hoey & Farina is proud to unveil its new HTML email newsletter and a host of other new projects --- including streaming Internet demonstration videos and CD-ROMs.
If you have any questions regarding a FELA personal injury matter, please
email us or phone our office toll free at (888) 425-1212. Your questions will be promptly answered with no obligation on your part.
[top]
|
Click on a year to browse chronologically:
