[20-807] LeDure v. Union Pacific Railroad Company

LeDure v. Union Pacific Railroad Company

Justia (with opinion) · Docket · oyez.org

Argued on Mar 28, 2022.
Decided on Apr 28, 2022.

Petitioner: Bradley LeDure.
Respondent: Union Pacific Railroad Company.

Advocates:

• David C. Frederick (for the Petitioner)
• Colleen E. Roh Sinzdak (for the United States, as amicus curiae, supporting the Petitioner)
• J. Scott Ballenger (for the Respondent)

Facts of the case (from oyez.org)

Bradley LeDure is a conductor for Union Pacific Railroad Company. In August 2016, LeDure reported for work at a rail yard in Salem, Illinois, to assemble a train for a trip to Dexter, Missouri. Three locomotives were coupled together on a sidetrack, and LeDure decided only one locomotive would be powered on. On an exterior walkway on his way to shut down one of the locomotives, LeDure slipped and fell down the steps. Upon investigation, LeDure noticed a “slick” substance, which Union Pacific later reported to be a “small amount of oil” on the walkway.

LeDure sued Union Pacific for negligence under the Locomotive Inspection Act and the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, arguing that Union Pacific failed to maintain the walkway free of hazards. The district court dismissed LeDure’s claims, finding the locomotive was not “in use” and therefore not subject to the Locomotive Inspection Act, and LeDure’s injuries were not reasonably foreseeable because they resulted from a small “slick spot” unknown to Union Pacific. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed.

Question

Is a train that makes a temporary stop in a railyard as part of its unitary journey in interstate commerce “in use” and therefore subject to the Locomotive Inspection Act?

Conclusion

The judgment of the Seventh Circuit, affirming that the train was not "in use" and therefore not subject to the Locomotive Inspection Act, was affirmed by an equally divided Court. Justice Amy Coney Barrett took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.