Did you witness a serious safety violation or accident at your place of work? You have the right to report this accident to OSHA or the relevant authorities in Rhode Island. The right for you to do so is guaranteed to all citizens under the terms of the Rhode Island Whistleblowers’ Protection Act.
What is the statute of limitations to observe?
The first thing that you need to be aware of is that the time that you have to report the accident is strictly limited. There is a statute of limitations involved in all Rhode Island whistleblower cases. The time that you are given to report any violations or accidents that you may have witnessed is limited to three years.
The Rhode Island Whistleblowers’ Protection Act gives you the ability to bring civil action against the parties that committed these violations. You can also bring action against them if you believe that they tried to threaten or intimidate you after reporting a violation. You have three full years to do so.
What action can you take to report violations?
You should be fully aware of the right to protection that you possess as a whistleblower. These rights are guaranteed to you under state and federal laws. You can bring a complaint to the superior court of the county where the violation took place. You can also choose to take your case to the county where you currently reside.
If need be, you can bring your case to the county where the person you are filing the case against lives. You can also choose the county where that person keeps their primary place of business. Once your action is filed, the case will be recognized by the court, and your whistleblower case can be heard.