The Iowa Supreme Court will decide whether suicide is considered an emotional or physical injury as it relates to workplace liability.
Union Pacific Railroad worker Phil Morgan died by suicide after his supervisor allegedly intimidated him, and his wife sued, saying the company created an unsafe working environment. Her attorney Paul Slocomb , says current laws aren’t up to date with medical research about suicide, and the case the court is using as guidance doesn’t account for workplace negligence that pressures someone into taking their own life. “The U.S. Supreme Court didn’t address a single suicide case in its analysis, not a single one, when there were multiple FELA suicide cases on the books,” he says.
But the Union Pacific Attorney Jon Amarilio says the justices must consider precedent. “The plaintiff can disagree with the Supreme Court’s policy determinations on that point, but they’re still binding,” Amarillo says. Amarilio says while tragic, Union Pacific would not be liable for an emotional injury.
The Supreme Court will release its decision at a later date.
(By Lucia Cheng, Iowa Public Radio)