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What Our Clients Say

I am very pleased with attorney Curtis Bickers and the entire law firm for their diligence in handling my case. I would gladly recommend them to others and use them again if the need arises. Thank you very much and may God continually bless all of you.

Sincerely,

Walter W.
Office Manager
Houston, Texas
Dear Curtis,

I would like to express my gratitude for the way you have taken care of this case. Thank you for your advice and encouragement during a time when I was completely bewildered by what needed to be done and how very much needed doing.

You and your staff made a very difficult time much easier for me and I appreciate your work on my behalf.

Sincerely,

Darlene R.
Dear Mr. Beckcom:

I never got a chance to say thank you for the wonderful job you did on my daughter's case. My daughter will be graduating in June from High School with cum laude status. She will be attending college at U.T. Austin and majoring in Communications. Thanks to your efforts her college education has been taken care of. Thank you again from both of us.

J. Perez

Houston, Texas
I know that my attorney is good because he won my case and I would recommend him to others.
Words cannot express the thanks and gratefulness that we have for Vuk and his company. His tireless efforts and aggressive style meant the world to us and he changed our lives forever. I will always be loyal and grateful to V&B for taking on my case and being committed from the beginning until the end. I highly recommend these guys with 100% assuredness that they will work hard for you and help you receive what you deserve.

Mark S.
Mechanic
Pasadena, Texas
From the moment I came to this law firm, I felt peace in my heart. You all were my voice. Thank you Mr. Curtis, you are a great attorney. I want to especially thank you for your effort and dedication and the good heart you put in my case. You are very professional. God Bless you always.

Alba

Therapist
Houston, Texas
Sincere thanks for this depo ... really excellent ... Beckcom/the firm is tops ... for such exhaustive preparation ... WOW ... what a depo.

Houston lawyer commenting on deposition of defense orthopedic doctor taken by V&B
Your law firm did a great job getting the case settled. You were helpful and I would recommend you to anyone.

Betty J. Richmond

Retired
Houston, Texas
Brian & Curtis

Thank you for all you've done for me in regards to my case.

Sincerely

-Raymond S.

Seafood Worker
Deltona, Florida
I would like to thank Brian Beckcom and his staff for their professionalism and their support. . . I knew when I met Brian that he was more than qualified to handle my father's wrongful death case . . .if I needed his help again I wouldn't hesitate to call.

Sabrina M, U.S. Air Force enlisted

Houston, Texas
Just when we thought we would never find someone who would listen to our story, V&B opened their doors to us. For one month, I spoke to 25 lawyers and the answer I received was "your case is a lost case, no one will ever represent you."

Aridana Perez (mother of Miguel Perez, Jr., auto accident victim)
Houston, Texas
I'd like to thank the staff at Vujasinovic & Beckcom for the professionalism and courtesy they displayed on my case.

Kurt R., Houston, Texas
I also have a heart full of gratitude for the way you presented such an excellent court case on behalf of me and my kids.

Gloria H., Wichita, Kansas
Brian, I recommend your maritime book highly. I also happily recommend you, personally.

-Captain Jim Vickers
I sat on one of your juries early this year. I observed your eloquence and complete passion....you seem to be a man of utmost qualifications.

- Juror on one of Vuk's cases (name withheld)
Vuk, it has been such a wonderful experience working with you and your staff. Thank you so much for all the hard work that you did to help my family and I survive through the most difficult time of our lives.

Phuong N.
Houston, Texas
I was injured in an auto accident in Houston, and was referred to Vuk by another attorney. I couldn't work as a result of the accident and desperately needed back and knee surgery.. . . Vuk was able to get me a generous settlement within about a year of taking my case.

Steven R.
Deer Park, Texas
After my two-year old son was killed by an 18-wheeler driver and me and my daughter were badly injured, we hired Brian and Vuk to represent us on the recommendation of another lawyer.

This was the hardest time in our lives and it was great knowing we had you there to represent us.

Justin and Sonya H., Splendora, Texas

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Disclaimer

We designed this website to provide information to consumers, injured people, and their families. Our goal is to level the playing field between consumers and insurance companies and expose the tricks, traps, and techniques they use to cheat injured people out of their legal rights. We also let consumers know about legal news, including verdicts and settlements and other interesting legal information.

But please understand that nothing on this website is meant to provide legal information about your specific case, create an attorney-client relationship, or imply that the results of your legal case will be the same as some other case.

Dangerous toxic substances can lead to injury and death for rail workers

Rail workers are exposed to a variety of substances and chemicals in the course of their working day, some of which can be extremely dangerous. Without proper training or precautions, railway employees can develop serious illnesses or injuries. These medical conditions can come on quickly, or develop over years of cumulative exposure.

With over 180,000 pounds of extremely toxic substances transported by U.S. railroads every single day, there are ample opportunities for workers to be exposed to these hazardous materials. Rail workers should have the appropriate hazmat training to deal with these substances, but not all do. However, even with proper training accidents happen and workers can be injured or killed.

Hazardous materials can hurt and kill rail workers

Railroad employers have a responsibility under the FELA (Federal Employer’s Liability Act) to maintain a safe working environment for their workers and protect employees from dangerous conditions. However, some of the chemicals transported by rail cars or used in railroad operations can be extremely toxic.

Consider this scenario from a paper by the National Labor College (NLC): “Just one 90-ton rail car of chlorine, whether involved in an accident or act of terrorism, could create a toxic cloud 40 miles long and 10 miles wide and could kill as many as 100,000 people in 30 minutes.”

Not all workers are injured in catastrophic accidents like this, but even minor accidents can be dangerous – or something as simple as a little exposure over a prolonged period of time. Below are examples of some hazardous substances that can cause serious health and safety issues for railroad workers.

Diesel Exhaust: Diesel fuel, used by locomotives since the middle of the last century, produces an exhaust that is chock full of dangerous particles. When inhaled, diesel exhaust can lead to a variety of respiratory conditions including asthma, COPD, cancer, and emphysema.
Benzene: Present in a variety of railway components, benzene can result in side effects like eye irritation, headaches, drowsiness, skin or lung irritation or can lead to serious diseases like cancer and leukemia.
Solvents: A variety of chemical solvents are used to clean trains, and repeat exposure to some of these chemicals are suspected to lead to brain damage, like the debilitating condition chronic toxic encephalopathy.
Silica dust: A very fine dust that can be inhaled into the lungs where it lodges in alveoli, leading to breathing problems, lung scarring, and an incurable condition known as silicosis.
Asbestos: Used for its heat-resistant properties, asbestos exposure can lead to heath problems like mesothelioma (a form of cancer) or asbestosis (lung scarring).

Concerned about an injury or illness you developed while working for a railway? Don’t expect your employer or their insurance company to take care of you without a struggle. Since rail workers are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance, you will need to file a FELA lawsuit. Please contact the experienced FELA railway attorneys at the Houston based law firm of Vujasinovic & Beckcom for assistance.

Vujasinovic & Beckcom P.L.L.C

1001 Texas Avenue, Suite 1020

Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713.224.7800

Fax: 713.224.7801