Hileman v. Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad

OPINION

ZAPPALA, Justice.

We accepted this appeal to review the claim of The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company (P & LE), defendant below, that the common pleas court committed reversible error at trial when it commented to the jury, and allowed plaintiffs counsel to do likewise, on the fact that the plaintiff did not receive workers’ compensation benefits. Because we find that these remarks were wholly irrelevant to the issues at trial and created a strong possibility of substantial prejudice to the defendant, we vacate the judgment and remand for a new trial.

Thomas Hileman was employed…