Does FELA Create a Relaxed Causation Standard for Railway Negligence Actions?
Norfolk Southern Railway v. Sorrell Docket No. 05-746 From: Court of Appeals of Missouri, Eastern District Case at a Glance In this case the Supreme Court will resolve a dispute regarding whether the common law standard of “proximate cause” should be used in deciding railroad negligence questions under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. The injured plaintiff contends that this statute dictates a relaxed or lessened level of causation while the railway argues that the common law principles of proximate causation remain applicable to all provisions of FELA. • Previewed by Jack E. Karns, a Professor of Business Law at the East Carolina University College of Business.
