Wisconsin Court OKs $1.6M Award for Injured Railroad Worker

A state appeals court in Madison, Wisc., has upheld a $1.6 million judgment for an injured railroad worker.

The ruling says a train cab door came off its hinges and fell on Wisconsin Central Ltd. conductor James Kroon in the Fond du Lac rail yard in July 2003.

A Milwaukee County jury last year awarded Kroon the money. Wisconsin Central and its parent company, Montreal-based Canadian National Railway Co., appealed.

The companies argued the award was excessive and a juror was biased against corporations. They also called for an investigation into whether the jury properly calculated the award.

But the 1st District Court of Appeals says the evidence supports the award and state law bars prying into jurors’ deliberations.

The railroad companies’ attorney, Brian D. Baird, didn’t immediately return a message.