A:No. Some railroad workers hesitate to consult a lawyer about their claim. They have been led to believe that the Railroad can put them out of service or discriminate against them in other ways because they have exercised their right to consult and engage a lawyer to pursue their FELA claim.
The fact is that the FELA FORBIDS the Railroads from engaging in such practices. The FELA is very clear on this point. In fact, the FELA spells out the legal right of the injured railroad worker to get the advice of a lawyer.
The FELA provides specifically that:\r Whoever, by threat, intimidation, order, rule, contract, regulation, or device whatsoever, shall attempt to prevent a person from furnishing voluntarily such information to a person in interest, or whoever discharges or otherwise disciplines or attempts to discipline any employee for furnishing voluntarily such information to a person in interest, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, for each offense.
(“Person in interest,” as used above, refers to your lawyer).
Advice and guidance of a lawyer are the railroad worker’s best guarantee that his or her claim will be properly evaluated, handled and presented in court.