Attorneys Charles Armbruster and Michael Blotevogel successfully recover almost $1,500,000 in a FELA case for a Union Pacific conductor who developed osteoarthritis of the hips as a result of years spent walking on uneven surfaces and oversized ballast in Union Pacific rail yards. The case was Heverly vs. Union Pacific. This verdict came after Mr. Heverly lost the first trial of this case when he was represented by another firm a year earlier. Using the same evidence and witnesses available at the first trial, Mr. Armbruster and Mr. Blotevogel successfully convinced the jury that Mr. Heverly’s injuries were the result of the railroad’s negligence in maintaining its rail yards. “This verdict should send a very clear message to the railroad that it needs to provide its employees with a safer working environment.” said Mr. Blotevogel. The verdict was affirmed on appeal to the Missouri Court of Appeals.
