Opinion ID: 1740433
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: jackson sues fund and prevails at trial

Text: Jackson filed a complaint against the Fund in the district court for Box Butte County. He alleged that the Fund had breached its contract with him by failing to compensate him while he was suspended. Jackson sought damages and attorney fees and costs. A jury trial was held in July 2005. Evidence was adduced concerning Jackson's failure to provide a urine sample for the BNSF drug test and the Fund's denial of benefits for Jackson's suspension from work. Over the Fund's objection on grounds of hearsay, insufficient foundation, and relevance, exhibits 17 and 18 were received into evidence with no limiting instruction. Exhibit 17 contained the exhibits from the BNSF investigative hearing. Exhibit 18 was a complete transcript of the testimony from that hearing. The jury found in Jackson's favor and awarded him $53,010, the amount of damages to which the parties had stipulated. The district court sustained Jackson's motion for attorney fees and costs. The Fund's motion for new trial was overruled, and the Fund appealed. We transferred the appeal to our docket in accordance with our statutory authority to regulate the case-loads of the appellate courts of this state. See Neb.Rev.Stat. § 24-1106(3) (Reissue 1995).