The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-19
RAILROAD LAWYER
FOR LIABILITY LAW
4
Better Business To Settle Than To
Fight and Split Up Fees Among
Lawyers and Ambulance Chasers.
BY gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON. ID. c., May I'll
have discovered a railroad lawyer
who actually believes It would be bet
ter business to pay fixed sum In
compensation for deaths and injuries
OF workmen instead 81 fighting dam
age suits by legal technicalities.
He Is Blewitt Lee. general counsel
for the Illinois Central l discovered
him among group of lobbyists where
a senate committee was beginning to
get ready to think about a tentative
bill for workmen's compensation and
employers liability.
lis II possible I asked, that
workmen's compensation bill can be
worked out which will not be opposed
by your railroads?"
Quite possible" Mr. Lee answered.
| think that enlightened self-interest
will soon help to solve this problem"
You mean," | asked, that you
think the money now used after kill
Ing the victim to kill the lawsuit
might be more wisely expended In a
prompt and satisfactory payment OF a
/ fixed compensation?
THAT about expresses the idea" be
answered. The only difficulty is to
determine the compensation. | think
employers generally are about ready
to accept a law fixing a reasonable
compensation for injuries and deaths
| caused In the ordinary course OF
business. The cost to the railroads
will not be any more, or much more,
than the cost of accidents at present.
The person injured does not get the
money now. Damage suits are under
taken on contingent fees and at least
fifty per cent OF the verdict Is kept
by the lawyers. There Is delay and
expense to the railroad in maintaining
a lot OF lawyers to fight ambulance
chasers and to keep down the amount
OF claims. II would be better to make
quick settlement, rather than to dis
tribute the money to Ave or six pee-
pie who really don't deserve IL; incur
ring at the same time the hostility of
the general public, who condemn the
railroad as a heartless institution.
Railroad men are awakening to the
wickedness of the system, but l don't
place my argument on any particular
appeal to conscience. IL Is short
sighted policy which induces the rail.
roads to go on fighting damage suits
and maintaining legal bubbles and
judicial delays at great expense to
themselves when the same amount OF
money would support a system which
would be humane and fair.
How about the legal constitutional
questions?'
Il believe there will be no difficulty
on that score. However, two cases
are pending before the supreme court
which involve the federal employers
liability and the safety appliance acts
Decisions handed down in May or
June will determine how far congress
can CO."
The employers liability commission
after considering few preliminaries
adjourned TO meet In June
Congressman ID. j. Lewis told the
commission about the law passed q
year ago in Maryland, which provides
for the payment OF 81 ,59t to the sur
vivors of victim of coal mining
| accident, and dollar day to injured
i miners. The act leaves the workman
free to collect damages by court action
II he desires; but Mr.. Lewis said that
| In the dozen cases which have come
up all have chosen the compensation
provided by the act.