This Crap Sickens Me, More Idiots Awarded Millions In Damages

grandgnu · #1 10-27-2006, 08:28 PM

Duh, gee, that steak knife didn't come with instructions not to insert it into my rectum, and Emeril didn't say anything about how to use it on his cooking show. LAWSUIT!

Jury Awards 24.2 Million In Damages

PHILADELPHIA - A federal jury awarded $24.2 million to two men who were severely burned by electrical wires when they trespassed onto railroad property and climbed atop a rail car.

Jeffrey Klein and Brett Birdwell, who were 17 at the time of the accident, sued Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Corp. after being burned by a 12,500-volt electrical wire in Lancaster in August 2002. In their lawsuit, they argued that the companies should have placed warning signs alerting people to the wires, which power locomotives.

Klein, who was burned over 75 percent of his body, was awarded more than $11 million in compensatory damages; Birdwell, who was burned over 18 percent of his body, was awarded more than $588,000. The jury also awarded a total of $12.5 million in punitive damages.

Attorneys for the companies said the two teens were old enough to recognize the dangers. But a lawyer for the teens said while they were trespassing, the law did not provide landowners with "blanket immunity."

The accident occurred after the men, who are now 22, decided they wanted to see the view from the top of the boxcar, according to the lawsuit. Klein was shocked by the wire, without touching it, and Birdwell was burned while he tried to help his friend.

Klein suffered second- and third-degree burns across much of his body and now has limited use of his left hand. Birdwell, who is now serving with the Army in Afghanistan, spent a year recovering from his burns.

guids · #2 10-27-2006, 08:30 PM

That will teach Amtrak, next time hopefully theyll juice the wires up enough to kill the douchebags.

NLSoldier · #3 10-27-2006, 08:32 PM

wow wtf

bwana devil · #4 10-27-2006, 08:36 PM

The companies can appeal the verdict.

nice editing job. leave off one sentence. the final damages will be significantly less im sure.

grandgnu · #5 10-27-2006, 08:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The companies can appeal the verdict.

nice editing job. leave off one sentence. the final damages will be significantly less im sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ugh, sorry, missed copying that. The page has a bunch of junk in the middle so you can't copy and past it all in one fell swoop, wasn't intentional.

Yeah, I expect they'll appeal, and hopefully win.

FUJItheFISH · #6 10-27-2006, 08:42 PM

no amount of money is worth receiving 75% of burns over my body, especially ones caused by 12,500V electrical wires.

Pudge714 · #7 10-27-2006, 08:44 PM

How did they determine that 18% of his body was burnt?

2/325Falcon · #8 10-27-2006, 08:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How did they determine that 18% of his body was burnt?

[/ QUOTE ]

Rule of Nines.

XXXNoahXXX · #9 10-27-2006, 08:49 PM

Wow, maybe I belong in law school because, although I don't know the details, this seems right.

Just because they were trespassing, Amtrak has to at least provide signs or safety measures to prevent this from happening.

I'm not sure if these damages will be reduced, they do seem high given the actions of the plaintiffs.

Same thing goes for the cases where people are trespassing and the owner of the land shoots them. Just because they were breaking the law doesn't give you the right to shoot them or in this case not consider the possibility of them being there.

Put yourself in the shoes of these two. How many times as teenagers did you get into a little trouble and trespass. How would you feel if you were climbing atop a railroad car and next thing you know you're zapped. Sure, they shouldn't have been there, but they should at least have the chance to avoid serious bodily harm.

guids · #10 10-27-2006, 08:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How did they determine that 18% of his body was burnt?

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a chart actually, for most of these things. I got me fijnger chopped off at work and they sent me to an arbitrator and they break out a chart with all the body parts labeled with a dollar amount, you get a finger chopped off they give 2800$, if you lose a hand, its like 7k$. Basically they just ask where the burn marks are/were and look at teh chart to determine the percentage burnt.