Smith v. CSX Transp. Inc.

After Larry Smith slipped and fell on stairs on property owned by CSX Transportation, Inc., he brought this action against CSX in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act “FELA”.1 A jury returned a verdict in favor of CSX. Following the denial of his motion for a new trial, Smith appeals, contending the trial court erred in admitting evidence that, at the time he fell, he was “out of service.” In addition, he contends the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury regarding a federal regulation that requires slip-resistant stair treads and nonslip nosings2 in the work place. For the reasons explained below, we reverse. The evidence shows that Smith was employed as a CSX conductor on April 6, 2004, when he went to the Terminal Administration Building in Walbridge, Ohio to attend a mandatory union safety meeting in his capacity as a local chairman. Smith took interior stairs to reach the second-floor meeting room. Smith’s foot slipped as he stepped on a stair tread that had a small puddle of liquid soap on it, and his left knee hit the edge of the step. One year later, Smith had knee surgery.

Smith sued CSX for damages pursuant to FELA, which provides a federal tort remedy for railroad employees who are injured on the job.3 FELA protects an employee who works for a railroad engaged in interstate commerce and whose duties affect or further the employer’s interstate transportation business whenever that employee is working within the scope of his or her employment.4 Activities within the scope of employment include those that are necessarily incidental to the employment, even if the employee is off duty, but not those undertaken for a private purpose and having no causal relationship with the employment.5 In order to recover against CSX under FELA, Smith was required to prove, inter alia, that he was protected by FELA at the time of injury; that CSX was negligent in that it breached its duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances to provide Smith a reasonably safe place in which to work; and that CSX’s negligence played some part in Smith’s injury.6