Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. Win $1.73 Million Verdict for Railroad Employee Injured at Work by Defective ATV Crash

On May 9, 2025, a Harris County jury awarded Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C.’s client $1,732,000 in damages arising from an at-work injury suffered when he was the passenger in an unmaintained ATV that crashed.  The client, a locomotive engineer who had worked for Union Pacific for ten years, was hurt on the job while he was the passenger in an ATV that Union Pacific provided its employees to get around the railyard. The driver of that ATV, a fellow Union Pacific employee, crashed the ATV into a locker-room building at the railyard. According to the ATV’s driver, the crash was the result of the brakes not working properly on the ATV that Union Pacific had provided. 

Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. jointly filed a lawsuit on behalf of the injured worker, alleging that the railroad’s negligence caused him harm and made it liable under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). The jury also considered evidence as to whether Union Pacific had properly trained the driver of the ATV to operate it safely within the railyard.

As a result of this crash, the client suffered serious, lifelong injuries, primarily to his back. While he has returned to work with the railroad, the jury considered evidence of the continuing daily pain he experiences and his necessity for lifelong medical care to address his lingering pain.  After four days of a contentious trial, the jury returned this large verdict compensating the injured worker for the harm he suffered due to the railroad’s negligence. The awarded damages included $1 million for future medical care, $150K for future physical impairment, $40K for past physical impairment, $60K for past physical pain and suffering, $390K for future physical pain and suffering, $40K for past mental anguish, and $52K for future mental anguish. Altogether, this award was many multiples greater than anything the railroad offered to the client as settlement compensation before trial. This case is more than a financial victory—it’s a legal precedent that confirms the importance of railway safety and it reflects justice achieved on the injured worker’s behalf

If you or someone you know has been injured at work, whether as a rail worker or at any other job, do not hesitate to contact the experienced and proven lawyers at Doyle Dennis Avery LLP and The Youngdahl Law Firm, P.C. The result in this case is consistent with the law firms’ expertise in obtaining justice and fair treatment for injured rail workers.