No. 19-625

Rita Guerrero, Individually and as the Special Administrator of the Estate of Celso N. Guerrero v. BNSF Railway Company

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2019-11-15
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: federal-employers-liability-act interstate-commerce interstate-rail-service jury-trial negligence scope-of-employment seventh-amendment summary-judgment
Key Terms:
Securities EmploymentDiscrimina
Latest Conference: 2020-01-10
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether the decision by the Seventh Circuit panel conflicts with provisions of the Federal Employers' Liability Act, and the uniform precedents of this Court, providing Petitioner the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial, when the evidence shows that decedent was on duty, "under pay," subject to control by his supervisor, and responding to his supervisor's direction to report for work to clear switches during a severe snow storm, in order to maintain interstate rail service.

2. Whether the precedent set by this Seventh Circuit decision usurps petitioner's right to a jury trial and therefore cannot stand because it will erode Congress' and this Court's strong uniform effectuation of the jury as the body charged with deciding questions of fact in FELA cases.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the decision by the Seventh Circuit panel conflicts with provisions of the Federal Employers' Liability Act, and the uniform precedents of this Court, providing Petitioner the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial

Docket Entries

2020-01-13
Petition DENIED.
2019-12-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2020.
2019-11-22
Waiver of right of respondent BNSF Railway Company to respond filed.
2019-11-12
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 16, 2019)

Attorneys

BNSF Railway Company
Andrew S. TulumelloGibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Respondent
Rita Guerrero
Robert Bruce PattersonLaw Offices of Robert B. Patterson, Ltd., Petitioner