Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway must pay $415,000 to one of its conductors after a jury found the railroad company liable for injuries he sustained when a railcar fell on him. In 2007, Joseph Jarreu, then 59, was working in BNSF's switchyard in Lafayette, La., when a car came off the tracks and started to fall. He put his hands up, and the car hit one of them before it stopped and righted itself. Jarreu sustained a torn ligament in his right wrist. He underwent three surgeries to repair the tear, culminating in a wrist fusion that he said permanently reduced the range of motion in his wrist and hand. Jarreu sued BNSF under the Federal Employers Liability Act, contending the railcar derailed due to BNSF's failure to properly maintain the tracks. BNSF argued Jarreu caused the derailment when he threw a switch under the train. It also contended Jarreu's injuries were preexisting.
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