Total Injury

A former Indiana railroad worker who claimed that he was run over by three train cars and lost his left leg more than two years ago was awarded $8.4 million in damages earlier this week by a Jefferson Circuit Court jury. Keith Baird alleged in his personal injury lawsuit that while he was working as a trainman between two cars in an Indiana train yard on October 2, 2004, a supervisor failed to warn him that other cars were moving toward him. When a car hit the car that Baird was working on, his legs were run over, according to details in The Courier-Journal story.

Baird claimed in his lawsuit that his former employer, Louisville & Indiana Railroad Co., was negligent for not warning him. The railroad company countered that Baird was not paying attention and thus at-fault. The jury found the railroad company 90 percent responsible for the accident and Baird 10 percent responsible. The original $9.3 million jury verdict in favor of Baird was thus reduced by $930,000. Following the verdict, Baird and the railroad company reached a settlement in which the railroad agreed to pay him $7.9 million within 30 days and not appeal the case.

The 27-year-old Baird has had more than 36 operations on his legs since the accident. He expressed relief over the settlement and said that he’s looking forward to moving on with his life. An attorney for the railroad company could not be immediately reached. Tuesday’s settlement brought an end to a trial which began on March 5^th.

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