Engineer requires back surgery after being injured in the CSX Winston Yard, Lakeland, Florida – $1,003,205.00 in settlement after two days of trial.
Richard Todd was working as an engineer at the Winston Yard in Lakeland, Florida. He was pulling approximately 28 cars up the north end lead track when he was instructed to stop. After he stopped and left his seat to clean his engine, the rear portion of the cut of cars that Mr. Todd was pulling separated and smashed into the back of his engine. Mr. Todd brought actions against his employer CSX under the FELA claiming that CSX negligently failed to provide him with a safe place to work by failing to provide couplers that automatically couple upon impact. As a result of this defect, Mr. Todd sustained injures to his lower back and had to undergo an anterior lumbar fusion for multiple disc levels, L4-L5 and L5-S1. Mr. Todd became vocationally impaired because of this accident and lost his career as an engineer. Trial of this matter lasted for two days before the settlement was reached. Mr. Todd received a total of $1,003,205.00.
Plaintiff’s Experts: Jeffery Carlisle, vocational rehabilitation, L. Wayne Plumly, economist, and William Gordon, railroad liability. Richard W. Todd v. CSX Transportation, Inc., Duval County (FL) Fourth Judicial Circuit, Case No. 02-2006-CA, Division CV-C. Benjamin B. Saunders, Designated Legal Counsel for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, New Orleans (Metairie), LA for the Plaintiff. David Etheridge, Jacksonville, FL for the Defendant CSX.