Win for BNSF in Ninth Circuit in Wrongful-Death Action

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Company (BNSF)
February 7, 2005

The Ninth Circuit Court of Ap­peals handed a significant vic­tory to Steptoe client Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Com­pany (BNSF) in a wrongful-death action. 

Finding various errors at the trial level, the Ninth Circuit or­dered a retrial both on the question of BNSF’s liability and the issue of damages, including a jury’s award of $5 million in punitive damages.

BNSF transports various types of freight through 32,000 miles of railroad tracks in the western United States and Canada.