CALLING AN ATTORNEY AFTER A PERSONAL INJURY
THE PULLMAN STRIKE AND THE ORIGIN OF LABOR DAY
There are some personal injury claims you can tackle on your own, but it depends on the severity of the situation. If someone’s suffered only a minor injury and they are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the legal process by themselves, getting an attorney involved isn’t necessary. However, filing against a large insurance company requires a more skilled and experienced hand. How does hiring an attorney help? Personal injury attorneys already know the personal injury laws and the procedures of the court. Attorneys spend years studying their line of work, and even more time researching a case once they take it on. They want what’s best for you and will fight hard for your claim. Having someone ready and willing to represent you with the knowledge to back you up gives you an advantage. When should I call? It's crucial to contact an attorney as soon as you possibly can. The faster you contact a lawyer, the faster they can get to work on building your claim. However, before picking up the phone, there are a few things you can do to ensure the process goes smoothly. At the time of the accident, you can gather witnesses and take pictures of the damage, if possible. This will serve as valuable proof and help your attorney gather the information they need. Also, depending on the injury, knowing an estimate of how much your medical or repair costs are will help you know how much your claim should be. Consider this. One of the best reasons to get an attorney is the fact that the insurance company you’re going up against will have some sort of representation. If you’re headed to court for a claim and the other party has legal representation, even in small claims court, it's in your best interest to seek out the same. Going up against an insurance company that has the resources of multiple attorneys by yourself will be difficult. Hiring a lawyer to represent you in court and throughout the legal proceedings will help level the playing field. And that’s why we’re here. The Texas Law Dog levels that playing field and makes sure you have the representation you need. To learn more, call 817-775-5364 (LDOG) today for a free legal consultation! Make the Right Choice to StrengthenYour Claim
How a Railroad Protest Laid the Foundation for a National Holiday
Today, Labor Day mostly means a day off and the closure of public pools. But when it was first created, it was a president’s desperate attempt to curb the tension after one of the most violent strike breakups in American history. In the late 19th century, the workers of the Pullman Company, which manufactured luxury train cars, all lived in a company-owned town. George Pullman, the owner, lived in a mansion overlooking houses, apartments, and crammed-together barracks, all of which were rented by the thousands of workers needed for the operation. For some time, the town operated without a hitch, providing decent wages for the workers while netting the higher-ups millions of dollars. But after the economic depression of the 1890s brought the country to its knees, everything changed. George Pullman slashed his workers’ wages by nearly 30 percent, but he neglected to adjust the rent on the company-owned buildings in turn. As a result, life became untenable in the town, with workers struggling to maintain the barest standards of living for themselves and their families. In response, the workers began a strike on May 11, 1894. As the event ramped up, it gained the support of the powerful American Railway Union (ARU). But Pullman, stubborn as he was, barely acknowledged the strike was happening, and he refused to meet with the organizers. The tension increased when Eugene Debs, the president of the American Railway Union, organized a boycott of all trains that included Pullman cars. The strike continued to escalate until workers and Pullman community members managed to stop the trains from running. Eventually, President Grover Cleveland sent in soldiers to break up the strike. Violence ensued, with soldiers making a great effort to quell the strike at its core. By the time the violence ended, 30 people had lost their lives and an estimated $80 million in damages had been caused throughout the town. A few months later, President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a federal holiday. Many experts believe that this act was an effort to build rapport among his pro-labor constituents after handling the incident so poorly.
This month, as you fire up the barbecue and enjoy your day off, take a moment to remember the workers who fought for labor rights in our country.
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