Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Special Interrogatories
Plaintiff, a Metra employee, was injured while trying to install a door. Jury verdict for Plaintiff for $545,000, later reduced to half based on finding that Plaintiff was 50% at fault. Court properly declined to tender a special interrogatory to jury: "Did Metra use ordinary care to provide plaintiff with a reasonably safe place in which to do his work?" Special interrogatory did not properly test the general verdict, as whether jury's answer would speak to Metra's overarching duty under FELA or one of three alleged breaches of duty would be unclear. (LAVIN and PUCINSKI, concurring.)