Mathis v. Burlington Northern, Inc.

A jury in the circuit court of St. Clair County awarded a general verdict to the plaintiff, Mathis, in the amount of $183,000 and answered a special interrogatory finding the plaintiff guilty of contributory negligence. The trial court entered judgment for the defendant, Burlington Northern, Inc., and it is from that judgment that the plaintiff appeals.

The plaintiff was involved in a collision with the defendant’s train on August 29, 1973. The plaintiff was traveling eastbound on Belknap Road and struck the defendant’s southbound train at the intersection of Belknap Road and the north/south…