William Mingledorff was working as an engineer at the Southover Yard in Savannah, Georgia. On the day of the accident, Mr. Mingledorff received instructions from his yardmaster to move his engines onto track A05. When he was within 5 car lengths of coupling to the cars in this track, Mr. Mingledorff’s conductor noticed cars being shoved from the opposite end of the track by another switch engine. While Mr. Mingledorff tried to reverse the direction of his engines, the cars from the other train collided with him. When the impact occurred, Mr. Mingledorff’s engine was violently shoved approximately 10 car lengths, causing sudden pain throughout his neck and back. Mr. Mingledorff brought actions against his employer CSX under the FELA claiming that CSX negligently failed to provide him with a safe place to work by not properly instructing its switching crews that the track had another engine on it. As a result of this negligence, Mr. Mingledorff sustained injures to his lower back and neck eventually having to undergo a decompressive anterior cervical discectomy at disc level C5-6 with a fusion. Due to this accident, Mr. Mingledorff became vocationally impaired and lost his career as an engineer. A settlement was reached late in the afternoon the day before trial was to begin. Mr. Mingledorff received a total of $700,000.00.
Plaintiff’s Experts: Charles G. Miller, vocational rehabilitation and L. Wayne Plumly, economist. William V. Mingledorff v. CSX Transportation, Inc., Chatham County (GA) Superior Court, Case No. CV02-0907-AB. Benjamin B. Saunders, Designated Legal Counsel for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, New Orleans (Metairie), LA for the Plaintiff. David Dekle, Augusta, GA for the Defendant CSX.