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"I'm told it's the largest ever against a railroad company" under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, says Donald
Britt, president and lead trial counsel at Sacramento's The Crow Law Firm in Sacramento.
The case involved a 30-year-old UP signalman, Eric Doi, who became a quadriplegic after a car accident last year. A Los
Angeles-area resident, he was in Arizona for a work assignment and was being driven to work when the accident occurred.
The railroad contended he was on "a personal errand," unrelated to work, says Britt, who specializes in rail-related
cases.
Britt maintained it was a work-related injury and the jury agreed.
The judgment, awarded Oct. 31, might be appealed, says UP spokesman Tom Lange.
While the railroad sympathizes with Doi's injuries, "We respectfully disagree with the jury's conclusions," said Lange.
"We expect to pursue further judicial review."
Britt believes the judgment was fair and will stand.
"When the verdict came in, I got teary-eyed," he says. "I cried."
"It's nice to win," he adds. "But the real satisfaction is knowing your client is going to get...the best level of care."
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Sacramento, CA - A local attorney is celebrating a record jury award he received for an injured Union Pacific railroad
employee. The judgment: $48.5 million.