Hulse v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen

340 S.W.2d 404, 1960 Mo. LEXIS 617
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedNovember 14, 1960
Docket47293
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 340 S.W.2d 404 (Hulse v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hulse v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, 340 S.W.2d 404, 1960 Mo. LEXIS 617 (Mo. 1960).

Opinion

*405 Consent Decree

Now on this 14th day of November, 1960, this matter came on to be heard before this Court, the informants appearing by their attorneys, Roberts P. Elam and George S. Hecker, the respondents, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, W. P. Kennedy, W. A. Woodson, E. G. Gunn and Dan McGlynn and Frank Zamarioni appearing by their attorney, Daniel P. Reardon, the respondents Phillip B. Lush and G. A. McNurlan appearing by their attorneys, Lyman Field and Clay C. Rogers, and the respondent, C. R. Maher, having never been served with process, not appearing, the report of the Special Commissioner heretofore appointed by this Court being before this Court, and the Court, being fully advised in the premises, finds as follows:

1. The parties hereto have entered into a written stipulation filed herein, which stipulation and the report of the Special Commissioner are by this reference made a part hereof.

2. The respondent, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Brotherhood”), is a railway labor union, having in excess of 200,-000 members, the great majority of whom are employed as railroad trainmen. It is governed by a body known as the “Grand Lodge of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen,” and it conducts its business functions and operations through subordinate lodges, sometimes referred to as “local lodges,” located in the various states of the Union, some 35 of which are located in the State of Missouri.

3. In 1930, the Brotherhood established a “-Legal Aid Department” by order of its then president, following a referendum., ballot of its local lodges, which was explained in Special Circular No. W-28 from the office of the then president of the Brotherhood, A. F. Whitney under date of April 15, 1930, as follows:

“The establishment of the bureau, as well as the making of agreements with regional attorneys throughout the United States, will be consumated as soon as consistently possible, and notice of its establishment will be printed in the ‘Railroad Trainman’ for the information and guidance of all members.
“Briefly, the plan contemplates the establishment at Grand Lodge headquarters of a bureau, with the necessary legal and clerical assistance, to advise injured members, and the dependents of those who may be killed, as to their rights respecting claims for damage. This assistance will not only be given to injured members, and the dependents of those killed, but also to proper subordinate lodge officers and committeemen, for the purpose of assisting injured members, or dependents, in negotiating settlements. No fee or charge will be made to the members for this advice.
“In order to secure advice it will be necessary to furnish the bureau with a full statement of facts surrounding the injury or death, so that questions of liability may be determined. In injury cases not involving the loss of limbs or other specific injuries, it will be necessary to furnish medical statements clearly describing the character and extent of the injury. In cases where investigations must necessarily be made before passing upon the question of liability, which-instances are more likely to occur with reference to death cases, the Legal Aid Bureau will undertake to make the necessary investigations, calling to its assistance-officers of subordinate lodges and committeemen. It is hoped a, full measure of cooperation will be giyen by these members.
*406 “Because of the great voíume of minor injuries occurring to members of the Brotherhood employed on railroads of the country, it will be impossible to give assistance or advice in cases of minor injuries where employees are able to return to work in a comparatively short time. It is felt that, at the outset at least, the bureau should not be requested to give information to employees who can return to work within ninety days. This attitude is taken not only because of the extremely increased burden of work which would be thrust upon the Legal Aid Bureau incident to answering inquiries relative to minor injuries, but by the further fact that it is invariably to the best interest of a railroad employee, receiving a minor injury, to return to work, thereby preserving seniority rights with his employer.
“In the minor injury cases railroads usually pay for time lost and it is felt it is better in all cases to accept such settlements than to employ lawyers. It is equally true that as time goes on, the committeemen will be familiarized with the rights of members under the law and will probably be able to assist injured members in negotiating adjustments of minor claims with reasonably satisfactory results.
“In all cases where the disability is not permanent and the member is able to return to his employment, it is the belief of the undersigned that every effort should be made to bring about amiciable settlements with the railroad company. It is almost the uniform practice of the railroads of the United States to discharge an employee for employing a lawyer. It is also the practice of most railroads to refuse employment to applicants who have previously brought suit against another railroad. Age restrictions subscribed to and followed by most railroads militate against men, who have passed the prescribed age limit, who are seeking employment. We believe that by following a policy of attempting to reach fair settlements with the railroad employers of the country, taking the minor injury cases out of the hands of lawyers, we will be able to improve conditions with respect to the settlément of injury cases-as they now exist.
“In cases where employees are permanently injured so that they cannot return to their former occupation, it is expected that every fair and reasonable effort will be made to adjust claims for damages direct with the railroads, either by the injured member himself or through the medium of his chosen representative among the officers and members of the Brotherhood.
“In cases where fair settlements cannot be obtained in this manner and where it appears necessary to litigate such claims, the Brotherhood will select attorneys located at strategic points in the United States, to whom injured members, and dependents of those killed, may resort for advice and assistance.
“Our agreements with these attorneys will require them to advise members without charge with a view to enabling them, or their representatives among the officers and members of the Brotherhood, to negotiate settlements direct with the railroad company. In all cases where it becomes necessary to commence suit, these regional lawyers will prosecute the cases of these members, and dependents, for a contingent fee of twenty percent of the net amount recovered in settlement of trial.
“Contracts will be entered into directly between these lawyers and the claimants on forms approved by the Legal Aid Bureau. Regional attorneys will be required to advance all necessary court costs, expert witness fees, expense of medical examinations, etc. These expenses will be deducted from *407 the amount of the recovery before a division is made of the net amount recovered.

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Related

In Re Randolph
347 S.W.2d 91 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
340 S.W.2d 404, 1960 Mo. LEXIS 617, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hulse-v-brotherhood-of-railroad-trainmen-mo-1960.