ON TRACK WITH RAILWAY CLAIM SERVICES, Inc.
Volume 11 Issue
4
October, 2004
RAILWAY CLAIM SERVICES, INC. Our 17th Year of Service
BACKGROUND CHECKS
STUDY FINDS WIDE VARIATION IN RISK MANAGER PAY
“NEW” GENERAL CODE OF OPERATING RULES
RATE OF WORKPLACE DEATHS STABLE
TRANSPORTATION FATALITIES ON A DECLINE
THIS AND THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ASBESTOS REFORM NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE
UPCOMING MEETINGS
POINTS OF LEGAL INTEREST
RCSI INFORMATION
BACKGROUND CHECKS
Railway Claim Services, Inc. (RCSI) can perform background checks for potential job applicants. RCSI can also check injury histories for employees. For further information contact Elizabeth Vineyard of RCSI at 731-967-1796, or via email at evineyard@railway-claim-services.com.
STUDY FINDS WIDE VARIATION IN RISK MANAGER PAY
On
September 23, 2004
Business Insurance reported on a study performed that Risk Managers’ salaries vary considerably depending upon their position and geographic
location, a survey concludes. The “2004 Risk Management Compensation Survey,” a joint project of Mercer Human Resource Consulting and the Risk &
Insurance Management Society Inc., contains detailed information on pay levels and compensation practices for risk management personnel. Survey data was derived from information submitted by 582
organizations in the
United States
and
Canada
.
Among the survey’s findings were that safety and claims managers’ median combined base
pay and annual incentives total approximately $70,000, which is $10,000 higher than risk management analysts’ median total cash compensation. In addition,
pay levels for risk management professionals in Pacific states, such as
California
and
Oregon
, are more than $13,000 higher on average than those for risk managers in
New Jersey
,
New York
and
Pennsylvania
, the survey found. Copies of the survey are available for purchase from Mercer at www.imercer.com/rims
“NEW” GENERAL CODE OF OPERATING RULES
The fifth edition of the "General Code of Operating Rules" will go into effect on the first Sunday of April 2005. The by-laws of the GCOR
committee state "To retain General Membership status, a railroad must adopt the current edition of the GCOR on the effective date of that edition." Contact
the ASLRRA for further information. The Website for ASLRRA is http://www.aslrra.org/
RATE OF WORKPLACE DEATHS STABLE
According to a report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on
September 22, 2004
the rate of workplace fatalities remained steady at 4 deaths per 100,000 workers between 2002 and 2003. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics said that 5,559 workplace deaths were reported in 2003, a slight increase from the 5,534 in 2002. Although fatal highway
incidents fell in 2003, they still accounted for the highest number of fatal work injuries at 1,350, according to the BLS. Work-related deaths resulting from falls and electrocution also fell, but the
number of deaths attributable to non-highway transportation accidents and aircraft-related accidents rose. The number of homicides and suicides also rose.
TRANSPORTATION FATALITIES ON A DECLINE
In 2003,
U.S.
transportation fatalities fell slightly to 44,888 from 45,311 in 2002, according to preliminary figures recently released by the National Transportation
Safety Board. Rail fatalities, which account for 1.7% of the 2003 transportation total, dropped to 767 from 861 in 2002. Every rail category showed
improvement: Two passengers were killed in 2003 compared to seven in 2002; grade crossing fatalities decreased to 329 from 357 in 2002; and light rail, heavy rail, and commuter rail fatalities dropped
to 173 from 220 in 2002.
Accounting for about 95% of the fatality totals, highway transportation saw the largest
decline in 2003, falling to 42,643, compared with 43,005 in 2002.
Aviation was the only transportation mode that showed no decrease in any subcategory,
according to the NTSB. The total number of people killed in aviation accidents climbed to 707 in 2003 from 625 in 2002. General aviation accidents showed
the largest increase in the aviation area, rising to 626 from 581 in 2002. Also showing an increase in fatalities were air taxi operations and scheduled passenger carriers.
Overall, marine fatalities fell to 759 from 809 in 2002, with every area except commercial
passengers showing a decrease.
Pipeline fatalities increased slightly overall to 12 in 2003 from 11 in 2002--all in the gas
pipeline category. There were no fatalities in the liquid pipeline category.
THIS AND THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Kankakee
,
Illinois
– On
September 28, 2004
the truck driver involved in a 1999 Amtrak derailment that killed 11 people and injured 122 others near
Bourbonnais
,
Illinois
was sentenced to two years in prison. In August 2004 John R. Stokes, 63, was convicted of violating a law
limiting how much time truckers can drive without rest and not keeping an accurate logbook - the only two criminal charges he faced in the case. Stokes was
driving a truck loaded with steel the night of March 15, 1999, when Amtrak's “City of New Orleans” hit his truck about 50 miles south of Chicago. The
impact derailed the train, sending it smashing into other rail cars loaded with steel on an adjacent track. The National Transportation Safety Board said
the crossing gates, bells and warning lights were working and that Stokes' failure to heed those warnings caused the accident. Federal investigators also
said Stokes had had just three to five hours of sleep in the 38 hours before the accident; federal rules at the time required an eight-hour break after 10 hours of driving.
Washington
,
D.C.
- The American National Standards Institute and the National Fire Protection Association have recommended to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
upon the
United States
that the NFPA 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs be recognized as the national preparedness standard. In
addition to examining the circumstances surrounding the 2001 terrorist attacks in
New York
and
Washington
,
D.C.
, the commission is charged with making recommendations designed to guard against future attacks. NFPA 1600
establishes a common set of criteria for disaster management, emergency management, and business continuity programs. In addition, it identifies
methodologies for exercising those plans and provides a list of resources within the fields of disaster recovery, emergency management, and business continuity planning.
The standard also outlines planning guidelines that address stabilizing the restoration of the physical infrastructure, protecting the health and safety of personnel, crisis communication
procedures, and management structures for both short-term recovery and long-term continuity of operations. NFPA 1600 is available online at: www.nfpa.org/PDF/nfpa1600.pdf?src=nfpa.
Mountainburg
,
Arkansas
– On
September 12, 2004
, the
Arkansas
and Missouri Railroad sponsored a full-scale anti-terrorism exercise. The exercise featured an intermodal
scenario that involved a hostage situation on an excursion train, and the interception of a truck carrying a dangerous cargo. Local, state, federal agencies
and first responders participated. Arkansas and Missouri Railroad Chief of Police said “The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad is now able to identify gaps in
its security planning process and take the remedial steps necessary to make its operations more secure for passengers and freight cargo activities.”
All Across the
United States
– On July 11 and 12, 2004, The New York Times ran front-page articles highly critical of railroad grade crossing safety, with liberal quotes from ATLA
lawyers and their expert witnesses. These articles have been reprinted in some other newspapers, and were the subject of a half-hour program on NPR's
"All Things Considered." Since then, there have been responses to these articles. The predominate
defense legal association defending railroads throughout the United States, The National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (NARTC) and its members are aware of this and are making concerted effort
make sure that this does not become an issue with judges and jurors in future railroad litigation.
The FRA Response notes "Approximately 95% of all grade crossing accidents
and 87% of fatalities involve motor vehicle driver behavior as a principal factor." Although these numbers are significant, the reader should not read
into this that the remaining 5% and 13% are related to railroad negligence, but could be some other intervening negligence.
The Inspector General's Audit shows that "51% of the public grade crossing
accidents occurred at crossings where automatic or active warning devices are present."
Florida
and
Alabama
– Property owners in
Florida
and
Alabama
are sorting out their losses as catastrophe modeling firms try to pin down how many billions of dollars the damages from four hurricanes that struck the
US
will cost insurers. There are indications that the damages may be enough to trigger some increases in property
reinsurance rates or, at least, arrest any price declines. For example, EQECAT Inc., an
Oakland
,
California
based catastrophe modeler, projects Ivan will cost insurers between $4 billion and $10 billion in payments for losses that are heaviest from
Mobile
,
Alabama
, to
Pensacola
,
Florida
. Ivan tore into the coast near
Gulf Shores
,
Alabama
, taking at least 33 lives as it moved north. Risk Management Solutions Inc. of
Newark
,
California
, estimates Ivan caused from $2 billion to $7 billion in insured losses, while
Boston
based AIR Worldwide Corp. put the figure at $3 billion to $6 billion. Industry sources say damage from the four
hurricanes may put enough pressure on property reinsurers to force rate hikes at year-end renewals, although no one is predicting dramatic increases.
Washington, D. C. – On
September 13, 2004
The House approved a bill that would impose sanctions on lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits in federal courts. The
229-174 vote fell largely along party lines, with all but a handful of Republicans supporting the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act and most Democratic members opposing it. The
act—H.R. 4571—would reinstate provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that require federal judges to sanction attorneys who file lawsuits determined to be frivolous under the
rule’s guidelines. The rule was amended in 1993 to give judges discretion over the imposition of sanctions. The committee also approved an amendment to
the bill that requires a federal court to bar an attorney who files three frivolous suits in that court from appearing before the court for one year. The
Senate appears unlikely to act on the bill before adjourns next month.
ASBESTOS REFORM NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE
In early May, negotiations over legislation to establish a national asbestos victim
compensation trust fund were suspended. The talks, which were mediated by retired Federal Judge Edward Becker, had been initiated by Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist and Senate Democratic Leader
Tom Daschle following the failure of a Republican-sponsored bill that would have create a privately financed fund of up to $124 billion. Democrats and labor groups had argued that the bill did not
offer enough compensation for victims and would deny them their rights to sue. Insurance industry representatives expressed disappointment that no
resolution was achieved. “Unfortunately, the failure of these negotiations means that those most in need will remain uncompensated, American businesses will be subject to potentially devastating
lawsuits, job creation in many businesses will be stifled, and abuse of the tort system will continue unabated,” said Carl Parks, senior vice president, federal government affairs for the Property
Casualty Insurers Association of America. Issues on which the participants failed to reach a consensus included estimates of future claim volume, variable
compensation for different of asbestos-related diseases, and division of the financial burden among asbestos defendant companies and insurers. “It is now
clear to us that a workable trust fund meeting the original goals of the undertaking – an efficient exclusive remedy for victims, and equity, certainty, and finality for all stakeholders – is
politically unattainable,” said Robert E. Vagley, president of the American Insurance Association. “In addition, we believe that a trust fund becomes even less economically viable with the passage
of time, as more and more of the finite resources available to compensate the true victims of asbestos are siphoned off by the out-of-control litigation system.” The AIA is urging Congress to
consider alternatives to the fund approach and to redouble efforts to enact legislation that protects the medical victims of asbestos, as well as the economy at large.
UPCOMING MEETINGS (Check
our Website – www.railway-claim-services.com for details.)
Midwest
Claims Conference,
October 28-29, 2004
, Sheraton
Bloomington
in
South Minneapolis
,
7800 Normandale Road
POINTS OF LEGAL INTEREST
State Farm V. Campbell Reaches Final Settlement - The bad-faith case that has ricocheted through the courts for 20 years may finally be nearing resolution. The Utah
State Supreme Court has awarded Inez Campbell more than $9 million in her long-standing dispute against State Farm. After previously reviewing the case, the
United States Supreme Court remanded it to the state court, finding that the original punitive damage award of $145 million was excessive and violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States
. In the original case, Curtis Campbell, who has since died, was found responsible for a 1981 automobile accident
that disabled Robert Slusher and killed Todd Ospital. At the time,
Campbell
was insured by State Farm up to $25,000, according to court records. State Farm chose not to settle the case. When
Campbell
was found responsible and a judgment entered against him for $135,000, State Farm refused to pay the amount, suggesting that the
Campbells
put their house up for sale to pay off the judgment, the court heard. Although State Farm eventually paid the judgment, the
Campbells
sued for bad faith. At trial, the
Campbells
were permitted to introduce evidence that State Farm had a comprehensive nationwide policy of handling certain claims in a like manner.
The jury awarded Curtis and Inez Campbell $2,086.75 in special damages, $2.6 million in
compensatory damages, and $145 million in punitive damages. The trial judge remitted the amounts to $1 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in
punitive damages. On appeal, the Utah Supreme Court reinstated the original jury verdict of $145 million in punitive damages, citing two decades of
“egregious and malicious behavior” in State Farm’s claim-handling practices. The insurer appealed that decision to the United States Supreme Court, which reversed the ruling and remanded the
case.
The case has brought unequaled clarity to the constitutional limits surrounding punitive
damages, according to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), which submitted an amicus curiae. “The U.S. Supreme Court had attempted to place limits on punitive damages for
years, but their decisions did not appear to capture the attention of some lower courts,” NAMIC staff wrote in response to the
Utah
verdict. “In
Campbell
, the court seemed to finally say enough.”
Although the award was greatly reduced to $9,018,780.75, it was significantly higher than
State Farm’s target figure of just more than $1 million. “Even the Supreme Court's observation that this case ‘likely would justify a punitive damage
award at or near the amount of compensatory damages’ does not cause us to retreat from our view that we have been granted discretion to determine the amount of punitive damages,” Justice Nehring wrote in his opinion.
In addition to suggesting limits for punitive damage awards, the U.S. Supreme Court sought to
restrict the scope of evidence that may be presented to jurors. The court chided
Utah
’s jurists for the fact that the $145 million punitive damage award was prompted by State Farm's nationwide policies, rather than for its conduct toward
the
Campbells
. “The Supreme Court found impermissible our reliance on State Farm's conduct outside
Utah
in measuring the reprehensibility of the company's conduct,” wrote Nehring.
“While some have speculated that this might
finally be the end of
Campbell
, the Utah Supreme Court’s decision raises questions that might merit further review,” NAMIC staff warned. “The
Campbell
litigation may not yet be over.”
State Farm has not commented on whether it will ask for further review of the case.
St. Louis
Jury Awards $1.1 Million for Low Back Injury. The
unreported injury giving rise to this trial allegedly occurred in November of 2001. The plaintiff, who had 25 years of railroad employment, claimed to have
sustained a low back injury while working for
Norfolk
Southern in
Elkhart
,
Indiana
. The plaintiff was unable to return to work after surgery. A state
court jury found in favor of the plaintiff and awarded $1.1 million in damages. Rick Beldon v.
Norfolk
Southern Railway Co.,
St. Louis
(MO) City Circuit Court.
Defense Verdict arising from a Crossing Accident at an Unmarked Private Crossing in
Texas
. The plaintiff’s decedent, age 66, was working on a ranch to construct a septic tank when he drove his pickup over an unmarked railroad
crossing. There he collided with a three-car passenger train. The decedent suffered a basilar skull fracture and
was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. His survivors sued both the railroad and its engineer, along with the owner of the ranch,
alleging that vegetation obscured the decedent's view and that the crossing should have had a warning sign. The property owner settled midway through
trial (which took ten days over the course of three months). The defense claimed that the collision was the decedent's fault. The train's conductor and a
passenger testified that the decedent was talking on a cell phone at the time of the collision. The event recorder verified that the train was operating
within applicable federal speed limits and that the crew sounded the horn in advance of the crossing. There was also evidence that the train's brakes were
applied some 75 feet before the crossing. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the railroad and the engineer. Garment Garza, Individually and as
Executrix of the Estate of Guadalupe R. Garza, Jr., et al v. Bernardo Perez, Texas Mexican Railway and Tony Canales, Duval County (TX) 229th District Court, Case No. DC-01-35.
Summary Judgment involving a Minor Trespasser Injury, Federal Court, State
of
Massachusetts
. According
to Court documents, on
February 27, 1998
, the 15 year-old plaintiff and his older sister attempted to use a shortcut across tracks that ran a block or so from their home. As they approached the tracks, a train was stopped along their intended route. They crawled under a standing train
freight car, with the sister leading the way. When the sister emerged she saw an eastbound train approaching. She
dove to the other side of the tracks. The plaintiff emerged a few seconds later and found himself only five feet from the illuminated locomotive of the approaching train, the plaintiff jumped in an
attempt to cross the tracks and avoid the train, but was struck by the train. He sustained severe injuries: multiple fractures, internal injuries, a punctured lung, lacerations and a closed head
injury, and was subsequently airlifted to a hospital where he fell into a coma. The plaintiff required four months of hospitalization followed by
extensive physical therapy. The plaintiff sought to recover on two theories: (1) that as a "child trespasser" he was owed the duty of ordinary care; (2) that even if he were a trespasser
he was owed the duty of reasonable care because railroad regulations required train operators to sound a whistle four times when approaching a standing train, and (3) that he was not a trespasser at
all because the public's continuous and notorious use of the shortcut created a prescriptive easement across the tracks. Following extensive discovery, the
railroad sought summary judgment on the child trespasser claim. The defense sought summary judgment on the prescriptive easement claim by relying on Mass.
G.L. c. 160, §218, which establishes as a crime any unauthorized entry onto property controlled or used by a railroad corporation. According to the
defense, no authority recognizes a prescriptive easement in the face of such a statute. As to the whistle blowing duty, the defense claimed that it was
irrelevant in light of the plaintiffs "tragic misjudgment" to attempt to jump ahead of the oncoming train. The district court granted the defense motion for summary judgment. Raymond
Wright, et al v. Consolidated Rail Corp., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, Case No. 01-30076. Michael B. Flynn and Richard A.
Davidson, Jr.,
Quincy
,
MA
for defendant.
Settlement of CSX Machinist/Engineer Claims Knee Injuries in
Georgia
for $15,000. The plaintiff, in his fifties, worked as a
machinist for most of his railroad career. During that time he walked on ballast in the rail yard. Arthritis
developed in plaintiffs knees. Plaintiff later worked as an engineer. During that work, plaintiff claimed he was forced to stand for extended periods of
time. According to plaintiff, he became unable to work as an engineer because of the arthritic pain in his knees. In his complaint plaintiff alleged that
the ballast on which he walked was larger than that called for by industry standards. Plaintiff theorized that cumulative trauma caused damage as the
knees and ankles turned while walking over the ballast. According to Georgia Trial Reporter, the case settled before trial for $15,000 Walter
Johnson v. CSX Transportation Inc.,
Fulton
County
(GA) State Court, Case No. OOVS005642. Edward Shuff Cook,
Atlanta
,
Georgia
for plaintiff. Glenn C. Tornillo,
Atlanta
,
GA
for defendant.
Jury Returns Defense Verdict in
Louisiana
Crossing Accident. On
January 27, 1989
, the plaintiffs' decedent drove into the path of a Southern Pacific train at a crossing in Bossier Parish. Although he survived the crash, he
died later in the day. Plaintiffs sued both the railroad and the engineer on theories the train failed to sound the whistle and that the crossing was
extra-hazardous. At trial plaintiff presented expert testimony that a motorist needed five seconds of reaction time and that the crossing could not be
safely crossed due to a cluster of trees 330 feet from the track. The parties presented conflicting expert testimony on reaction time and train make-up. The
jury deliberated an hour following a two-week trial and then returned a defense verdict. Vivian Jean Arnold v. Union Pacific Railroad, et al, Bossier
Parish (LA) Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court, Case No. 78,910.
Grand Trunk Pays $725,000 to Settle FELA Claim Then Seeks Indemnity From Sidetrack Lessee —
Michigan
Appeals Court
Affirms Judgment for Railroad. A railroad
brakeman/conductor allegedly injured his right shoulder and left knee while coupling cars in December of 1997. After filing a complaint under FELA the
brakeman/conductor returned to work in December 1998. In January 1999 the employee slipped and fell after encountering a problem with snow-covered
switches on sidetrack property that Grand Trunk Western had leased to defendant to load autos onto railcars for transport. In this second incident the
brakeman/conductor injured his left shoulder and right knee and was later determined to be permanently disabled. An amended FELA complaint was filed,
seeking recovery for this second incident. Grand Trunk notified defendant of this claim and tendered its defense pursuant to indemnity provisions in the
sidetrack agreement. Defendant denied liability and refused the tender. Grand Trunk filed suit for indemnity and the action was consolidated with the FELA
case. Upon submission to facilitative mediation, the facilitator determined that the brakeman/conductor's case reasonably settled for $725,000 with $625,000 allocated to the 1999 injury. The railroad notified defendant of its intent to settle. Defendant declined the settlement. After the railroad settled, it sought summary disposition of its indemnity claim. The trial court concluded that
defendant breached its duty to defend and therefore could not dispute its negligence or the amount of the settlement. Defendant appealed, arguing that
the trial court erred in holding it to the same standard as an insurance company with regard to the contractual duty to defend. The appeals court affirmed
the judgment, but on different grounds. While it first agreed with the defense that the duty to defend is not absolute and the contractual duty is not, in
and of itself, dispositive of the case, the court concluded that summary disposition was appropriate given the potential liability under FELA and evidence that the settlement was reasonable [citing Consolidated
Rail Corp. v. Ford Motor Co., 751 F.Supp. 674 (E.D.Mich. 1990)]. The court pointed out that defendant did not dispute that the potential liability rule
applied, only that the railroad had the burden of showing that the claims were covered before the trial court could proceed further. According to the
defense, questions of fact remained regarding whose negligence caused the brakeman/conductor's injuries and whether defendant breached its duty under the sidetrack agreement regarding ice and snow
removal. The appeals court found the defense reasoning flawed. It held that defendant's argument raised questions of liability which were properly resolved
under the potential liability standard. Here, the court concluded, it was clear that the fact situation of the original claim was covered under the sidetrack agreement. Such an argument was, the
appeals court found, a liability argument to be considered in weighing the reasonableness of the settlement. In light of the non-delegable FELA duty to
provide a safe workplace, the court found that Grand Trunk reasonably settled the claim. Grand Trunk Western Railroad, Inc. v. Auto Warehousing Company, Court of Appeals of
Michigan
, Case No. 244246.
RCSI welcomes your input. If you
have any questions or comments of interest to our industry, please contact either Dave Gardner or Randal Little at (731) 967-1796 or FAX your message to (731) 967-1788.
Visit the Railway Claim Services, Inc. webpage located at www.railway-claim-services.com. Railway Claim Services, Inc. is the recognized leader in independent railroad claims management, which includes investigation, negotiations, and all those
things in between. If RCSI is not already a partner in your loss control and claims management program are you accepting too much risk?
For further information contact:
dave_gardner@railway-claim-services.com or randal_little@railway-claim-services.com
Corporate Offices at:
52 South Main Street
Lexington
,
Tennessee
38351
Phone: 800-786-5204, Fax: 731-967-1788 or visit us on the
Web at www.railway-claim-services.com
Railway Claim Services, Inc. has offices THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
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