Former Virginia Railroad Worker Awarded $4.5 Million For Ankle Injury

A former railroad worker in Roanoke, Virginia, received a $4.5 million settlement from his former employer, Norfolk Southern, for an ankle injury that left him permanently disabled. According to reports from The Roanoke Times, the accident occurred three years ago at the railroad’s terminal yard.

Court documents show that the worker was walking through the terminal coupling train cars together with a device he wore strapped to his chest, when he tripped over a railroad tie, which was surrounded by weeds. The man stepped into a depression in the ground, rolling his ankle in the process of the fall. The fall tore a tendon in the man’s ankle, which required two surgeries to repair and lead to a chronic pain disorder.

Attorneys argued that the weeds around the tie made for an unsafe work environment and the device he was required to wear on his chest impaired his vision.

On Monday, a jury in the Roanoke circuit court awarded the $4.5 million decision, in lieu of the original $5 million the victim sought.

Railroad workers are vulnerable when injured on the job, as they are not covered by workers’ compensation. Instead, they are covered by the Federal Employers Liability Act, which puts the burden of proof of negligence on the victim.

The Richmond workers’ compensation lawyers with Geoff McDonald & Associates are here to help you if you have been seriously or permanently injured in an on-the-job accident.