You’ve heard me say that every case is unique, but there are some very common (and legitimate questions) that my office fields from clients and prospective clients every week. Railroad workers, some with FELA cases and others who are whistleblowers, have questions about forms, doctors, court appearances, and most of all, why it’s all taking so long.

“I slipped on ice on an unsalted walkway on my way into work. (The parking lot had been cleared, as had the sidewalks, but the walkway in the parking lot itself was not treated).  

Under the FELA the railroad is required to provide a reasonably safe place to work, which includes providing reasonably safe tools and following reasonably safe procedures and methods for doing work.

Frank was a plumber for 10 years with Metro-North Railroad.

He spent all but six months of his career working in the railroad’s Grand Central Terminal, but not upstairs in the pretty part. No, Frank worked in the bowels of the facility, ensuring that the ancient massive intricate HVAC systems remained operational.

So here we go again. A new year and a new railroad but the same old carrier refusal to accept responsibility. This time, New Jersey Transit.

Was it the promise of better pay? Maybe it's because you thought you would have better conditions sitting inside of the cab? Or maybe it is the cool factor of being in control of a multi-ton behemoth.

How do I calculate the value of my case? How much is my back injury worth? How much can I get for my knee injury?

They're all valid questions I get from railroad workers who get hurt on the job. Unfortunately there isn't one answer. Every injury, every worker, every situation is different. From the severity of your injury to your degree of fault, there are a thousand of variables that will impact the value of your case.

Here is the face of MNRR’s continuing safety initiative. His name is Justin Vonashek. He will start on Jan. 4, 2016 as vice president of System Safety. Will he able to win over the trust of the rank and file track level workers? That remains to be seen, but a lack of on track experience isn’t a good sign, despite his transit accolades.

Railroad work is dangerous: heavy machinery, chemical exposure, 150-ton speeding locomotives. Whether you’ve spent your career working on high voltage wires or maintaining signals or track area, you may have taken on more than your fair share of danger and injury, just shrugging it off as part of the job.

In actuality, it may be that it was the railroad itself that shrugged off your safety. Often workers are put in dangerous situations that they should be safe from, and very often when workers report those unsafe conditions they find themselves slapped with a letter of reprimand, told to keep quiet about an injury or worse.

Here are 10 examples of situations where a worker has a legit whistleblower claim against the railroad.

I am testifying at an informal hearing with the Federal Railroad Administration, and I need your help. 

At the hearing next week my goal will be to communicate to the administration just how dangerous your work still is, despite improvements in safety. To make my point I would like to show the FRA officials examples of the continuing unsafe conditions that you as a railroad worker are exposed to everyday. Examples are in this photo. More on that later.

I'm hoping you'll help me make my case by sharing your pictures of obvious, everyday hazards you run into on the job.  Especially hazards that remain despite reporting them.