Opinion ID: 890163
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Boude's Termination from Employment

Text: ¶ 28 The Union Pacific terminated Boude's employment in this case because he did not report the July 29 incident for over four months, in violation of the railroad's strict policies on prompt reporting of injuries. Tracy Brown, Union Pacific's manager of train operations at the time, testified that when Boude first contacted him in October about his neck pain, Boude assured him it was not a work-related injury. Approximately three weeks later, Boude called Brown to advise him that the injuries were in fact work-related. Brown attempted to set a meeting with Boude to review the incident with him and complete the required paperwork, but Boude put him off. Boude did not meet with Brown, but later filed the incident report form with help from an attorney. Boude did not object to this testimony at trial, and concedesas does the Court (Opinion, ¶ 22)that his dishonest statements to management were relevant and admissible at trial. Boude argued in his motion in limine, however, that evidence of his termination for that dishonesty should be excluded because it was not relevant and would only confuse the jury as to the amount of damages, in particular his claim for lost future earnings. On appeal, Boude again emphasizes that the fact of termination did not, as a matter of law, affect the quantum of damages and the evidence only confused the jury as to the measure of Plaintiff's damages. (Emphasis added.) ¶ 29 A district court has broad discretion to determine whether or not evidence is relevant. State v. Hardman, 2012 MT 70, ¶ 13, 364 Mont. 361, 276 P.3d 839. Courts in FELA cases generally have held that a worker's termination from employment does not preclude his claim for lost earnings if the loss of earnings is alleged to have resulted from the worker's injuries and not from an alleged wrongful termination. Martinez, 82 F.3d at 227; State ex rel. Union Pac. R.R. v. Dierker, 961 S.W.2d 816, 823 (Mo.1998); Torres v. Union Pac. R.R. Co., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84333, -5 (E.D.Ca.2006); Graves v. BNSF Ry. Co., 77 F.Supp.2d 1215, 1219 (E.D.Okla.1999). Based on this authority, the District Court agreed with Boude that he was entitled to present evidence of lost wages beyond the date of his termination. Boude argues that Union Pacific nonetheless used the evidence of his termination to urge the jury not to award future wages for job he no longer had. ¶ 30 The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently clarified that its decision in Martinez did not create a firm rule that a railroad employee's termination could never be admissible in the employee's FELA case. Wright v. Ark. & Mo. R.R. Co., 574 F.3d 612, 618-19 (8th Cir.2009). The court distinguished Martinez and upheld the admission of the plaintiff's termination where it was offered to counter the impression that his injuries were the only reason he no longer worked for the railroad. Wright, 574 F.3d at 619. Here, given the testimony at trial and in light of the trial court's broad discretion in evidentiary rulings, admission of Boude's termination likewise was not reversible error. ¶ 31 Both Boude and his wife Amber testified that he is in constant pain that has substantially and permanently affected his ability to engage in daily living activities. Boude testified he has been unable to work because of his neck condition and that he had intended to work for the railroad until he reached full retirement eligibility at age 67. Like the court in Wright, I would conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting evidence of termination where to exclude it could leave the jury with the impression that physical limitations from the accident were the only reason [Boude] no longer worked at [Union Pacific]. Wright, 574 F.3d at 619.