---
title: Woman sues railroad over crane collapse
date: 2002-03-27T20:18:00-08:00
author: admin
canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/woman-sues-railroad-over-crane-collapsec"
section: Case News Additional
---
[All News](/news_events) / [](https://marlerclark.com/news_events) /

# Woman sues railroad over crane collapse

 

 

  A Snohomish woman who was injured last year when a 175,000- pound crane crashed on top of her pickup, trapping her for hours, is suing Union Pacific Railroad.JoAnn Beffert, 34, was working at a Georgetown-area Union Pacific yard for one of the company's contractors on Feb. 16, 2001.

Another worker was driving a crane when one of its wheels struck a drain culvert, according to the lawsuit, causing it to topple.

It "squashed her pickup truck like an aluminum can" and pinned her legs under the dashboard, said her attorney, Bruce Clark.

It took firefighters 3 1/2 hours to free the woman from the mangled truck. Both of her legs were broken.

Yesterday, Beffert said it is often still painful to walk.

She and her husband, Nathan, filed their suit in King County Superior Court this week, seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering, lost wages and more than $100,000 in medical bills.

Nathan Beffert remembers hearing that his wife had been in an accident, but nothing prepared him for seeing firefighters try to rescue her from the crushed metal.

"My instant thought was she was dead," he said. "I started to shake. Panic ran through my body."

A spokesman for Union Pacific declined to comment on the suit. Trial is set for August 2003.

 

### Other Lawsuits

 [Clover Hill Dairy Cheese sickens 8 with Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/clover-hill-dairy-cheese-sickens-8-with-listeria)

 [18 Sick with Salmonella from Moringa Capsules](https://marlerclark.com/18-sick-with-salmonella-from-moringa-capsules)

 [Kebab Shop E. coli Outbreak Sickens Nine](https://marlerclark.com/kebab-shop-e-coli-outbreak-sickens-nine)

 [70 Sickened by Salmonella Cantaloupe](https://marlerclark.com/70-sickened-by-salmonella-cantaloupe)

 [Headcheese linked to Listeria illnesses in Illinois](https://marlerclark.com/headcheese-linked-to-listeria-illnesses-in-illinois)

 [Raw Farms linked to another Raw Milk Cheese E.coli Outbreak - 9 People sickened - Company refuses to recall product](https://marlerclark.com/raw-farms-linked-to-another-raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-7-people-sickened)

 [Salmonella linked to Live it Up hits 97](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-linked-to-live-it-up)

 [64 with Salmonella tied to Oysters](https://marlerclark.com/64-with-salmonella-tied-to-oysters)

 [Vega Farms Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 63](https://marlerclark.com/vega-farms-salmonella-outbreak-sickens-63)

 [By Heart Infant Formula tied to Botulism Outbreak spikes to 51](https://marlerclark.com/by-heart-infant-formula-tied-to-botulism-outbreak)

 [Green Supplement causes Salmonella Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/green-supplement-causes-salmonella-outbreak)

 [10 with E. coli linked to Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/3-with-e-coli-linked-to-cheese)

 

 

 

### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses

 [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all)

 [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all)

 [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all)

 [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all)

 [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all)

 [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all)

 [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all)

 [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all)

 [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all)

 [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all)

 [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all)

 [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all)

 [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all)

 

 

### Lawsuits updates by year

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025)

 [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026)

 

 

 

##### Get Help

   

#### Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

 [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) 

##### Related Resources

   

 

######  [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli-landing) 

...

 

######  [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) 

What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so...

 

######  [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) 

E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in...

 

######  [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) 

Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least...

 

######  [Sources of E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/sources-of-e-coli) 

Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are...

 

##### Outbreak Database

   

#### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

 [ View Outbreak Database

  ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)
