Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Williams

Nickolas C. Williams was employed by Norfolk and Western Railroad (N&W) as a clerk in the Caller’s Office in Roanoke, Virginia. On April 7, 1984, the chair in which Williams was working fell backwards. Subsequently Williams filed an action in the Circuit Court of the City of Portsmouth against N&W under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. §§ 51-60 (1982), for injuries allegedly resulting from his fall from the chair. N&W moved to transfer the case to the Circuit Court of the City of Roanoke. That motion was denied. After a three-day trial, the jury returned a verdict in…