A multi-million dollar settlement was reached by the FELA railroad lawyers at Peter Higgins Law on behalf of their client, who had his foot crushed and eventually amputated below the knee while working on a railroad track machine.
Pain From Foot Crush Injury Results in Amputation Decision
After the crush injury to his foot, our client underwent multiple surgical procedures over several years in an attempt to relieve the chronic pain shooting through his foot, ankle and lower leg. When his doctors finally told him that his pain was permanent and he could either learn to live with it or have his leg surgically amputated below the knee, our client made the unthinkable decision to amputate.
Railroad Denies Responsibility
The railroad vigorously fought the case, claiming that, since our client was not their “actual” employee but rather the employee of a sub-contractor hired by the railroad, they had no legal duty to provide him or his coworkers with a safe place to work. They also argued that the injury was our client’s own fault.
Peter Higgins Law Proves Railroad Responsibility and Violation of Federal Safety Statutes
The lawyers of Peter Higgins Law proved, however, through the railroad’s own documents and depositions of railroad employees, that our client was sufficiently under the control of the railroad at the time of the injury to make the railroad responsible for his injuries and damages under the FELA. Peter Higgins Law also presented law to the court establishing that the railroad was strictly liable to our client due to its violation of several federal safety statutes.
Multi-million Dollar Settlement for Injured Worker
The case ended up settling just a few days before trial, after the railroad finally offered enough money to meet our client’s settlement demands. The exact settlement amount cannot be revealed due to a confidentiality agreement under the terms of the settlement.