(The following report appeared on the Wichita Eagle website on May 18.)
WICHITA, Kan. — A U.S. District Court jury in Wichita awarded more than $800,000 in damages today to a Junction City man who claimed he sustained frostbite and a foot injury while working for the Union Pacific Railroad in Amarillo, Texas, on Jan. 31, 1999.
During the weeklong trial, Barry Chaffin, 48, charged that the railroad failed to provide a safe workplace by allowing snow and ice to accumulate in areas where he was expected to work.
Chaffin’s lawyers argued that the railroad required Barry, a 20-year railroad employee, to work without proper equipment that would have allowed him to clear away ice and snow. The railroad denied the charges.