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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Federal jury awards $10 million to injured CSX worker

Kujawski

EAST ST. LOUIS - A jury has awarded an injured CSX Transportation conductor $10 million at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

The case involved Richard Burden, of Owensboro, Ky., who was hurt in 2007 while releasing vertical handbrakes on a tank car at night. As he dismounted the car, he fell and sustained a fractured leg, a neck injury, which required surgery at three disc levels, a low back injury and a traumatic brain injury.

Since he was injured, Burden had not been able to work and had been adjudicated totally unemployable, according to his attorney John Kujawski of Kujawski and Associates in O'Fallon.

Burden's award on Nov. 10 was reduced by 10 percent for contributory negligence, netting him a total of $9 million.

According to Kujawski, CSX offered Burden $600,000 to settle the case prior to trial.

U.S. District Judge David Herndon presided at trial.

CSX was represented by Boyle Brasher of St. Louis.

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