Many whistleblowers continue to work for their employers for as long as possible after they make an internal or external whistleblower report. Losing a job is hard, and the employees who are whistleblowers make reports because they want their employer to stop wrong conduct, not because they don’t want to continue working for them. Sometimes, whistleblowers can continue working for their employers without experiencing any adversity within their workplace. However, many whistleblowers experience retaliation after they make one or more reports. Whether you are currently experiencing retaliation of you fear that you may soon encounter hostility at work, the following three suggestions can help you stay strong as you navigate your job and workplace for as long as you possibly can.

If you do experience retaliation after you blow the whistle, you must act quickly to preserve your rights. Time matters in whistleblower protection cases and each whistleblower protection law contains a statute of limitations, or a time limit, within which you must file a claim for your claim to be valid. Each law has a unique statute of limitations, and some of them are as short as thirty days from the time the retaliation occurred.

Even before you make your report and certainly after you do so, do not give your employer any legitimate reason to fire you. Not only will you have no job if you get fired, but your termination could also serve to discredit your report if you were terminated for a good cause. It can be challenging to remain polite and calm in the face of retaliation, but it is critical that you get whatever personal support you need to do so. Be sure to take good care of your physical and mental health, talk with supportive family and friends, and seek counseling if need be. Do not confide in coworkers, even if they are your friends, and refrain from gossip of any type. If your employer asks you to cooperate in an investigation, do so without hesitation. Hold your head high, and continue to do your best work in fulfilling all of your duties and responsibilities.

Many whistleblowers feel so uncomfortable at work after they experience retaliation that they consider leaving their jobs. Quitting your job is never something to be undertaken impulsively, even if you are under intense scrutiny and facing retaliation at work. Some whistleblowers do need to leave their jobs to preserve their health or their safety regardless of the consequences. However, it is critical that you think through the possible impacts of resignation on any claims you might have for retaliation, your career options, and your ability to aid in any investigations that are being pursued against your employer.

Remaining at your job after you blow the whistle can be extremely difficult. If you have attempted to bring concerns to the attention of management and you have experienced retaliation after reporting a concern, we may be able to help you. To learn more, call the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorney at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to set up an initial consultation.

Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it is clear that not only has the health of the environment suffered tremendously, the health of the people who live and work in the Gulf Coast area is severely impacted. Those who are experiencing long-term illnesses related to the oil spill and their doctors are saying that it’s not always the spilled oil that has caused their severe health problems. Many of the health problems doctors are seeing in Gulf Coast residents ten years after the oil spill were caused by the chemicals used to clean up the oil spill.

One woman who started to experience health problems after coming into contact with the chemical product Corexit describes a ten-years-and-counting ordeal that began with blisters on her skin. Kidney and liver complications followed the rash, and scans of her brain show abnormalities. Ten years after she was exposed to Corexit, she feels tired all of the time and doubts that she will ever feel entirely well.

This woman is not alone. Hundreds of thousands of people have experienced health issues after being exposed to Corexit and other chemical dispersants. Some of those health issues are physical, and others involve the mental health of people who were exposed to spilled oil, cleanup chemicals, and the devastating economic impact of the spill. A rise in mental health concerns in areas impacted by disasters of any type is typical. The mental health impacts felt by Gulf Coast residents following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are similar to the mental health effect that were felt by individuals impacted by other disasters. Increased incidences of depression, anxiety, and stress, and an increase in unhealthy behaviors like increased alcohol and drug use and domestic violence have been noted int he Gulf Coast region in the years since the oil spill.

Some of the increases in mental health impacts among Gulf area residents are caused by exposure to oil. Still, researchers say that we must not underestimate the adverse effects that the economic troubles caused by the oil spill have on mental health. Income loss connected with the oil spill has been linked to an increase in the development of mental health conditions. People who worked in the Gulf’s fish and shellfish industries have developed mental health concerns at an even higher rate than others who lost income from their work in oil production, tourism, and gas production in the years since the oil spill.

The disease-causing chemicals used to clean up the oil that spilled from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig are still in use today. What’s more, their continued use is permitted by law. Health and environmental advocates want the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove Corexit and other chemical dispersants from the list of available solutions that can be employed in the event of an oil spill. They say that the dispersants do more harm than good, and health and environmental data that have been collected in the years since Deepwater Horizon support that conclusion.

To learn more about BP oil spill litigation, call the Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC at 1 (800) 707-9577, to arrange an initial consultation.

No one was hurt in a recent Pike County accident involving a log truck and a passenger vehicle. Drivers in the area experienced minor inconveniences when authorities closed the road to allow for removal of the wrecked log truck and its load of logs, which spilled out when the truck went off of the road.

Log trucks do the vital work of moving logs out of the forests where they are harvested to the wood products companies that turn those logs into lumber, paper, and many other useful items we use every day. Drivers of log trucks have a tough job, and since they are professional drivers, they must undergo professional training and licensing before they start hauling logs. Some of the rules for log truck driver qualifications are less stringent than the criteria required for other types of trucking jobs, and a lack of training or skill can sometimes lead to a dangerous or deadly log truck wreck.

Log truck accidents are less common now than they were before the early 1990s when the random, roadside inspection of trucks by trained law enforcement officers came into practice. Trucking companies and private owners of log trucks and other trucks started to pay more attention to keeping their vehicles properly maintained and in good repair because the fines and penalties for failing roadside inspections would negatively impact their businesses.

Unfortunately, some truckers continue to roll the dice and skimp on maintenance and repairs. Sometimes a failure to maintain a truck in a safe condition causes an accident, whether it be with a log truck or some other type of commercial vehicle. Some of the worst log truck accidents involve minimally qualified drivers driving older log trucks that are in poor condition. However, experienced log truck drivers driving newer, well-maintained log trucks do occasionally wreck their vehicles.

Most log truck accidents involve at least one other vehicle. Sometimes, the vehicle collides with the log truck, and at other times, the log truck is forced off of the road to avoid a collision with the other vehicle. In twenty-five percent of fatal log truck accidents, the log truck rolled over during the wreck. Over eighty percent of log truck accidents happen on dry roads during the daytime. Pictures of the aforementioned log truck accident show a daytime crash scene with dry roads.

Some log truck accidents occur when a log truck is overloaded. In some of those situations, the driver of the truck does not load it and is unaware that it’s too heavy until they drive it and experience trouble with braking, steering, or handling. Some drivers load their trucks, and some load them too heavy, again, deciding to take a chance if they do not feel as though they’ll be driving through an area where a roadside inspection is likely. Unfortunately, even a load of logs that do not exceed a log truck’s capacity can shift during transport and cause the driver of the truck to lose control of it.

Many things can cause log truck accidents, and log truck accident claims can be complicated. If you were hurt in a log truck accident, call the knowledgeable Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorney at Barrett Law PLLC, at 1 (800) 707-9577 today.

The cold days of winter are mostly behind us, and warmer weather brings with it many different types of outdoor work. Working outdoors in the springtime can be enjoyable. Still, as summer draws near and heat and humidity levels rise, the risk of heat-related on the job illnesses and injuries increases.

The types of outdoor work available in Mississippi range from agriculture to construction, landscaping, paving, and so much more. If your work brings you outside into the summer heat, you are at risk for heat-related injuries and illnesses. Heat exposure causes more deaths per year than any other type of environmental exposure. Learning about heat-related illnesses and injuries can help you stay safe when the temperature rises in your outdoor workplace.

Heat-related illnesses occur when a person is exposed to high temperatures, and their body temperature rises faster than their body can accommodate through its natural cooling mechanisms like perspiration. If you are working in a hot place, watch out for nausea, dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps, or fainting, as these are signs of heat-related illness.

Heat exposure illness and heat exhaustion can progress into heat stroke if the body temperature rises above one hundred and three degrees. Severe headaches, confusion, dizziness, and a rapid pulse are signs of heatstroke. An individual who has heatstroke may even become unconscious. Heatstroke requires immediate medical attention, as brain damage, organ failure, and even death can result from having a body temperature of over one hundred and three degrees for a prolonged time.

Sun exposure can add sunburn and sun poisoning to the list of work-related illnesses and injuries that can happen to workers who work outdoors in hot weather. If you work outdoors in the heat, you must have access to shade, and your employer must provide you with opportunities to get out of the sun. Dehydration is also a common heat-related illness that can happen to individuals who work outdoors in hot weather. Dehydration happens when your body sweats out more water than it takes in. Fatigue, headaches, and lightheadedness are some of the symptoms of dehydration.

Fortunately, there are things that workers and employers can do to reduce the likelihood of a heat-related illness, injury, or heat stroke. Hydration is critical in hot weather, and employers must not only ensure that adequate water is available to their employees, but that workers are encouraged to take time to drink water throughout their workday. Some people may not be aware of how much more water people need when they are working outdoors on a hot day. For example, eight, eight-ounce glasses of water each day is enough to maintain proper hydration for most people hydrated most of the time. If you work outdoors in the heat, you’ll need to drink four, eight-ounce glasses of water every hour!

Workers who plan to be outdoors this summer can do so confidently, knowing that sticking to the recommendations for hydrating and spending time in the shade can prevent many cases of heat-related illness or injury. If you do start to feel sick while you are on the job, tell someone right away. Move to a shaded place or an air-conditioned area, drink water, and seek medical attention if your symptoms do not improve.

If you have been hurt at work, you and your family do not need to file a workplace injury claim alone. Call the Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC at 1 (800) 707-9577 to learn more.

A person and a cow are dead following a recent motor vehicle wreck on Highway 18. A man was driving a van westbound on Highway 18 when he struck a cow that was on the road. His van then went off the highway and hit a tree. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

Livestock does not often go on the road. The owners of cows, horses, sheep, and other domestic animals keep their livestock inside of barns, fenced pastures, or other contained areas to protect the animals from harm. Unfortunately, cows and other livestock occasionally escape from their shelter or enclosure and wander around loose. When one or more animals escape, they create a risk of harm to themselves and people.

The risk of harm increases when livestock wanders into a road. Drivers are not expecting to encounter livestock on the highway, and they may attempt to swerve to avoid the animal that has suddenly appeared in their path. Unfortunately, swerving can sometimes cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle and have a wreck. Also, even if a driver swerves, the animal could continue moving in a way that makes a collision unavoidable.

Any collision with a wild or domestic animal has the potential to cause injury or death to the people and animals involved in the crash. Large animals like moose, deer, horses, and cows pose the greatest threat because of their size and weight. When a vehicle strikes an animal, the animal may be tossed into the air before it lands on the vehicle’s hood, roof, or windshield. Animals that are large and heavy can crush cars and shatter windshields, severely injuring or killing vehicle occupants.

Collisions with animals are dangerous and often deadly. Fortunately, drivers can sometimes avoid having a vehicle wreck when they encounter an animal on the road. If you see an animal in the street, slow down if it is at all possible. Look carefully at the area around you. Both escaped livestock, and some wild animals like deer tend to travel in groups. When one animal moves into the road, others may be following it.

If you can avoid hitting the animal or animals that are on the road without swerving so hard that you wreck your vehicle, that is the best possible result. However, due to traffic, weather conditions, or other circumstances, you may not see the animal or animals that are on the road until a collision is inevitable. In that situation, if you can hit the animal at an angle rather than head-on, it is a good idea to do so. Hitting an animal at an angle increases the chance that the animal will be deflected from your vehicle instead of onto it.

If you were hurt or someone that you love was killed in an accident involving a wild animal or livestock, contact a Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorney right away. The Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to serve you and your family. Call us at 1 (800) 707-9577 to learn more.

Most workplaces use electricity. From the electrical systems that power office buildings where employees use computers and other electronic devices to do their work to large manufacturing facilities that power massive machines with large amounts of electricity, electricity flows around most of us for much of our workday. Unfortunately, electricity can hurt and even kill workers who come into contact with it.

A man recently died from an electrical accident that happened while he was at work. The fifty-two-year-old man received an electrical injury to his hands, and he went into cardiac arrest shortly afterward. Some of the man’s co-workers tried to revive him, but neither they nor the first responders who reported to the accident scene were able to do so.

At the time of the accident, the man was working at a facility that produces electrical meters. He was a skilled and experienced worker who served his employer for over nine years before his death. Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) are investigating the fatal workplace accident.

There are three main types of workplace accidents that involve electricity. Employees can receive an electrical shock, they can be burned by electricity, or an electrical fire can injure them. Electrical shocks happen when an electrical current comes into contact with parts of a person’s body, such as a hand or a foot. Our bodies contain so much water that they conduct electricity very well. Electric shock injuries range from mild to severe and even fatal. A mild electric shock leaves the injured person with a tingly feeling in the area where the injury occurred. Moderate electric shocks can cause muscles to clench and tighten. A severe electrical shock sends so much electricity into the injured person’s body that their heart or lungs may fail. 

Severe electrical shocks cause electrical burns. Some electrical burns are external and can be seen on the outside of the injured person’s body. Electricity can also burn people internally if it travels through bones and into deep tissues. When there is an electrical fire, people can get hurt or killed if they try to extinguish the fire with water, and the water comes into contact with the electricity.

When electricity flows throughout the workplace as it should, it is useful for many kinds of work. Unfortunately, there are many ways that electricity can move outside of the systems that are designed to contain it. For example, electrical wiring does not last forever, nor is it maintenance free. Old wires can become brittle and crack or break, allowing electricity to escape. Routine examination of the electrical systems in a workplace could prevent at least some of the electrical accidents that occur. Electrical outlets have undergone many safety improvements over time, and many older outlets do not have the safety devices like ground-fault control interrupters (GFCI’s) or three-pronged plugs that could prevent some electrical injuries or deaths.

Electrical connections and components on machinery must be examined regularly for wear and tear and repaired as needed. Employees who repair equipment must do so carefully, taking steps to avoid all contact with electricity. Safe work practices such as lockout/tag-out protocols can help prevent accidental contact with electricity during repairs and maintenance.

If your family lost a loved one or if you were injured in an electrical accident at work, call the Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today, at 1 (800) 707-9577.

Last month, we shared information about several basic types of personal injury claims. You may have experienced an injury that is not one of the injuries discussed in that article. Your injury could also possibly give rise to a personal injury claim if you were hurt by no fault of your own.

The first thing you must do after an injury is to seek medical attention. Not only may the injury be more severe than it appears, but you also need to know what treatment is recommended for your injury so that you can begin the process of healing and recovery. When you receive medical care at a doctor’s office or a hospital, you create a record of your injury as well as the care that you have received for it. If your injury later gives rise to a personal injury claim, your medical records will provide valuable information to your attorney that they can use to support your claim.

After you have received medical care and you are on your way to recovering from your injury, it is a good idea to explore whether you might have a personal injury claim. It is wise to get started on working with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident, as personal injury claims take some time, and it won’t be long before your medical bills begin to arrive. If another person’s negligence caused your injury and you have information available to you that demonstrates that your injury was the result of their negligence, you may be able to work with a personal injury attorney to pursue a personal injury claim. The medical records mentioned in an earlier paragraph are a vital part of the proof you’ll need to support your personal injury claim. Other types of information your attorney can use to build your injury claim are witness statements, photographs, security camera footage, police reports, and your testimony about what happened to you before, during, and after your injury.

If you do have a personal injury claim, your attorney will work with you to file the claim and develop a settlement proposal. A settlement proposal is a document that your attorney sends to the defendant, the person or business entity that you believe is responsible for your injury, that outlines the reasons why they are liable for your injury as well as the compensation you expect to receive from them. What happens next depends upon the defendant’s response to your personal injury claim. Some defendants may acknowledge that your injury resulted from their negligence. They may agree to pay the amount your attorney requested, or they may attempt to negotiate with you and your attorney to reach an agreement to pay a lower amount. The defendant could also deny responsibility for your injury. If that happens, your attorney can file a lawsuit against them. You, your attorney, the defendant, and their attorney could settle your case before it gets to court. If not, you’ll appear in court with your attorney and present your personal injury case there in hopes of receiving a verdict in your favor.

If you would like to know whether you have a personal injury claim, ask the Mississippi Personal Injury Attorneys at Barrett Law today. Call our office at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule a free initial consultation.

An employee of the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has filed a complaint against the agency, alleging that the Bureau is allowing illegal activities to occur on federal public lands in Nevada. Dan Patterson, a BLM employee, was suspended after making the complaint, which describes what he believes to be multiple violations of the law.

Patterson says that he spent two years trying to voice his concerns to his supervisors at the BLM. He filed his complaint when it became clear to him that his supervisors were not listening to what he had been trying to tell them. Dan Patterson provides valuable insight into the hearts and minds of whistleblowers. He explains that public employees are not likely to make a whistleblower complaint until they have put significant effort into pursuing their concerns with those who are in a position to address them and have come up empty-handed.

Some of the activities described by Patterson in his complaint are being carried out by mining and resource extraction companies. For example, a mining company was allowed to deviate from the operating procedures that are prescribed by law. The mining company applied for and received a permit to make a toxic pit lake. The standard procedure would have required the company to use a less hazardous method to perform the same function, albeit at a higher cost.

Other instances of misuse of public lands that Patterson alleges in his complaint apply to individuals or groups of people. For example, five prominent individuals who refer to themselves as “the five jokers” hold a mining claim on public lands. There are no mining or exploration activities taking place on the property, but there are vacation homes. Patterson says that the law limits what a person may do on land held as a mining claim and that developing the area as a vacation property does not fit within the activities that are allowed.

Dan Patterson is aware of other instances of misuse taking place on public lands. He is unable to access the emails, documents, and other information that he would have to provide to support those additional allegations. Patterson says that his inability to obtain those materials is part of a larger scheme that is at work within the BLM, where the agency encourages its employees to engage in telephone conversations instead of email conversations to prevent employees from keeping records of their discussions.

The nature of the structure and staffing of many agencies like the BLM adds to the difficulty agency employees often encounter when trying to approach agency management with their concerns. The BLM does not have a permanent director. Many positions within the BLM and other agencies within the Department of the Interior are filled with political appointees. The BLM has been around for a long time, but it is currently experiencing more political pressure than it has at any other time in the past.

Dan Patterson was suspended after he tried to speak with management about his concerns and eventually made a whistleblower complaint against his employer. If you have attempted to bring concerns to the attention of management and you have experienced retaliation after reporting a concern, we may be able to help you. To learn more, call the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorney at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to set up an initial consultation.

The management teams of large companies like Columbia Gas of Massachusetts do not see every detail of the day to day operations of their companies. Fortunately, those companies have thousands of employees who are working for them every day who see every detail of their work. Those employees are a valuable source of information that managers can access to assess the performance of their company in many areas, including safety. Unfortunately, many safety complaints are not addressed by the management teams that receive them. Sometimes, the consequences remain within the company, with workers getting hurt or killed on the job. At other times, the unsafe conditions that come to the attention of workers that report them to management go on to cause disasters that hurt and kill many people and destroy large amounts of property.

In September 2018, a series of explosions and fires occurred in the Merrimack Valley as the result of excess pressure within Columbia Gas’s natural gas lines. One person died, twenty-five people were injured, and thousands of residents had to evacuate their homes. Officials entered each home and business to ensure that the gas supply was shut off and that there was no gas trapped inside the building. Gas and electric service remained shut off as the displaced residents waited to be allowed back into their homes. After several days, all area residents were back in their homes, and electric service had been restored. The restoration of gas service to the area required extensive work on the pipeline, which was completed several months after the disaster. During the time that gas service was unavailable, residents had to employ temporary solutions like cooking on hot plates, heating with electric space heaters, and going without hot water.

A few months before the explosion, an employee of Columbia Gas repeatedly warned the managers of the company that the company did not have enough employees to provide safe, reliable natural gas service within the company’s service area. The employee worked in the metering and monitoring department. As staff numbers in his department were cut, he realized that the company did not have enough human resources to adequately monitor the gas pressure in the pipelines throughout its service area. Bart Madeiros retired after his repeated attempts to have his safety concerns addressed went ignored. His testimony was critical in the recent federal case against his former employer.

Columbia Gas Company recently pled guilty to federal charges alleging that the company violated federal pipeline safety laws. Investigators report that the company not only failed to protect the safety of the public, but it also acted with disregard for public safety. Columbia’s company will sell its business in Massachusetts and pay fines of over fifty million dollars. Columbia is also subject to a separate settlement under which it must pay eighty million dollars to individuals who experienced loss and damage because of the explosion and the municipalities whose infrastructure was damaged by the explosion.

Conscientious employees like Bart Madeiros are powerful allies to companies who want to prevent accidents and catastrophes. The Mississippi Whistleblower Protection Attorneys of Barrett Law PLLC support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose safety concerns, fraud, waste, and corruption. Call us today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to arrange an initial consultation with the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys of Barrett Law PLLC.

Money laundering has been going on for over two thousand years, and many people are unaware of how much money is laundered on a worldwide basis every year. It is estimated that between eight hundred billion and two trillion dollars of cash annually are received illegally and passed through legal businesses to make those dollars “clean.” The intention behind money laundering schemes, which are often complicated financial transactions, is to hide money obtained illegally from law enforcement officials. If a criminal obtains money unlawfully and then they spend the money without laundering it; there is a possibility that law enforcement officials will be able to connect the person who received the money illegally with the crime of obtaining the money illegally.

Money laundering is a crime in the United States, and there are both state and federal anti-money laundering laws. Other countries also have laws against money laundering, but in some places, it is easier to launder money and not get caught. Money laundering schemes are often complicated, and some money laundering schemes funnel money into international transactions involving either businesses or financial institutions. Modern money laundering often incorporates the electronic handling of funds, which can make catching money launderers even more difficult.

There is a bill before the United States Congress called Senate Bill 2563, or, “The Illicit Cash Act.” The bill would give law enforcement officials more tools to fight back against money laundering, which is often connected with criminal activity like human trafficking, drug dealing, and terrorism. While anti-money laundering laws do currently exist, supporters of the bill say it is time for those laws to be updated and strengthened.

One of the ways the Illicit Cash Act could help officials increase enforcement of money laundering laws is by offering a monetary reward to individuals who supply officials with information that leads to the successful prosecution of money launderers. Similar financial reward provisions exist in the Internal Revenue Act, the SEC Act, and other anti-fraud whistleblower laws. The basis for all of these whistleblower laws is the False Claims Act, which was introduced by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and updated in 1986. The False Claims Act and the rules that were inspired by it provide a means by which ordinary citizens can report violations of the law to the government officials who can enforce those laws and receive compensation for their role in bringing criminals to justice. The payment for whistleblowers under the False Claims Act and similar laws is a portion of the fines and other financial penalties that are collected from individuals who are convicted of wrongdoing.

As is the case with other whistleblower laws, the Illicit Cash Act, if passed, contains provisions that would protect whistleblowers from retaliation. The reason that whistleblower laws have been so successful in identifying and prosecuting illegal activity is that the people who work inside of the organizations where the crimes are occurring can provide reliable information about the illegal things that they witnessed. It was a whistleblower who helped authorities crack the Danske Bank Case, the largest money laundering case in history.

If the Illicit Cash Act passes, officials will gain valuable allies in their fight against money laundering. To learn more about whistleblower protection, call the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys of Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 for an initial consultation.