On March 28, 2007 the law firm of Albertini & Darby, LLP obtained a total verdict of over $15 million against CSXT on behalf of 9 injured employees.  The case was tried by UTU Designated Legal Counsel Matt Darby. The individual verdicts ranged from $750,000 to $6 Million.  The employees suffer from repetitive stress lower extremity injuries due to their work with CSXT.  The lawsuit was based on CSXT’s failure to use walking ballast in its yards and its failure to institute an ergonomic program to minimize the amount of climbing and squatting required of its employees while working in the yards.

             The 9 railroad workers ranged in age from 50 to 62 and had suffered various degrees of osteoarthritis in their knees.  Osteoarthritis has no cure and the continued work related “wear and tear” to a railroad worker’s knees causes the condition to progress to the degree where knee replacement surgery is often the only treatment option.  All 9 of the employees have been under active medical treatment for their osteoarthritis, including having undergone injections and/or arthroscopic surgeries.  While some of the workers were disabled from their employment at the time of the trial, others were still actively working.   However for most of those who were still working, their doctors stated that their careers with CSXT would be shortened by several years due to the progressive nature of their injury. 

            If you have any questions about the trial or would like to investigate whether you may have osteoarthritis that is related to your railroad employment, please contact Matt Darby at 410-243-9400, 800-248-3358 or pmdarby@albertinidarby.com