$48-million jury award to injured railroad worker is OKd by judge

December 1, 2008

A judge Tuesday approved a $48-million jury award to a former Union Pacific Railroad employee who was left a quadriplegic after a work-related car accident last year.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court jury award to Eric Doi last month was the largest verdict ever to a plaintiff under the federal law that covers railroad workers injured on the job.Railroads and their employees are not covered by state worker’s compensation laws.

Union Pacific spokesman Tom Lange said in a statement today that the railroad company would “pursue further judicial review.”Doi, 30, was the passenger in a company truck last year when a co-worker behind the wheel became distracted and lost control of the vehicle. The truck rolled over down an embankment, crashed through a fence and into oncoming traffic on a highway, said Donald Britt, an attorney for Doi.

“In that split second — it happened so fast — my life changed,” said Doi, a railroad signalman who had traveled from his home in the San Gabriel Valley to Tucson for work.

Read Article: Los Angeles Times

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney