Verdict dismissed in keyboard stress case
Judge reverses crucial victory for workers
A landmark verdict for workers claiming repetitive motion injuries from keyboards has been dismissed by a federal judge, reversing what was seen as a crucial victory for workers who say the devices cause debilitating injuries.
In December 1996, a federal jury in Brooklyn awarded $5.3 million to three women who accused Digital Equipment Corp. in Maynard, NY, of producing a faulty keyboard that led to their carpal tunnel syndrome. All three were involved with prolonged data entry work. The verdict was a surprise because two other computer manufacturers had won courtroom battles in recent years. The court victory and the large award were seen as an enticement for other office workers to sue equipment manufacturers for repetitive motion injuries.
The most seriously injured of the women won $5.3 million, the second won $306,000, and the third won $278,000. In May, a federal judge threw out the $5.3 million award because he said evidence suggests her wrist injury was not related to her secretarial work. The appeal by Digital Equipment included information from a 1993 medical examination, made at the request of her employer, that suggested her wrist injury was caused by a muscular condition in her neck.
Judge Jack B. Weinstein ordered a new trial. In one of the other two awards, Weinstein upheld the original court award of $278,000. At press time, no decision was made on the appeal of the other award.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content