Biography
Scott C. Sands has over 30 years of experience in the area of personal injury litigation and trial law and has earned a reputation as an expert and leader in the field of Railroad Law. He represents injured railroad employees under the Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA), the Locomotive Inspection Act (LIA), the Safety Appliance Act, and the Whistleblower's Act. He has tried dozens of cases in state and federal courts in multiple states including Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee, and Montana. He takes great pride in protecting the rights of all persons injured due to the negligence of another.
Prior to joining Anesi, Ozmon, Ltd., he practiced at Sands & Associates for over 20 years where he served as lead counsel on more than 300 personal injury cases. Mr. Sands both tried and settled several multi-million-dollar cases under FELA, the Jones Act, Defense Base Act, and Longshore Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, in addition to many other personal injury cases. Scott spent the first five years of his legal career as a felony trial attorney with the Public Defender's Office in Chicago.
Mr. Sands' most recent verdict was secured on November 9th, 2023, when a Rock Island, Illinois jury returned a Record personal injury verdict in the county of Rock Island in the amount of $2,857,500 in favor of our client who was injured while riding his motorcycle and a truck-trailer pulled out in front of him causing him to lay down his motorcycle and sustain a broken leg.
Education
- The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
- J.D. - 1986
- Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
- B.A. - 1983
- Major: English
- Minor: Business Administration
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1986
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court Western District of Tennessee
Professional Associations
- Illinois State Bar Association, Member, 1990 to Present
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 1990 to Present
- Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys
Representative Clients
References
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Fraternities or Sororities
Certified Legal Specialties
Practice Areas
- Personal Injury- Plaintiff
- FELA-Plaintiff
- Admiralty and Maritime Law-Plaintiff
- Construction Accidents- Plantiff
- Premises Liability-Plaintiff
- Motor Vehicle-plaintiff
Published Works
Representative Cases
- $3.26 million settlement for a Local 1 construction laborer who was struck by a Vermeer-hopper machine while working in the CTA’s redline tunnel
- $3.0 million for a railroad freight conductor who sustained a traumatic arm amputation when struck by a moving train
- $3.0 million settlement reached during trial in Federal court in Jackson, Tennessee, for a laborer struck at a crossing by a freight train and permanently disabled
- $2.34 million verdict for an Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad engineer injured when his locomotive was struck by another locomotive
- $1.86 million verdict for a BNSF conductor who sustained injuries due to negligence by the railroad
- $1.6 million settlement for unemployed laborer struck by a commercial truck
- $1.28 million verdict for a Canadian Pacific railway engineer injured when a seat collapsed
- $1.4 million settlement reached during trial for a locomotive engineer struck by another train
- $1.26 million verdict for a worker due to a defective railroad track switch
- $1.58 million verdict for a worker due to grab-bar breaking off a railcar, causing a fall and disabling injuries
- $1.10 million verdict for a freight conductor injured when he fell off a freight car
Honors
Classes & Seminars
Pro-Bono Activities
Past Positions
- Cook County Public Defender, Attorney, 1986 to 1990