Hickox v. Seaboard System Railroad, Inc.

Benham, Judge.

Appellant Hickox, a former periodic employee of appellee Seaboard System Railroad, Inc., from 1942-1957, brought suit against ap-pellee in 1983 under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (“FELA”) (45 USCA § 51 et seq.), alleging that he had contracted chronic lead poisoning due to appellee’s negligence in failing to provide him with a safe working place. Appellee invoked the doctrine of comparative negligence, asserting that appellant, through his ingestion of illegal liquor, had failed to exercise ordinary care for his own safety. After a four-day trial, the jury returned a…