Plaintiff died while transporting dry ice as part of his courier job
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (February 27, 2026) – A Madison County jury has awarded $241,000,000 to the family of a man who died while transporting dry ice as part of his job as a courier. The verdict includes $49.5 million in compensatory and $191.5 million in punitive damages against the company.
On the morning of August 5, 2016, 64-year-old Eric Johnson arrived at PFD Supply’s facility in St. Charles, Mo. His courier service, CJS Express, was hired to transport four coolers of frozen strawberries filled with dry ice to Fayetteville, Ark. An employee of PFD Supply, a subsidiary of Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., loaded the coolers into the back of Mr. Johnson’s vehicle, but no one provided him with warnings regarding how to safely transport the cargo.
About an hour and a half after his journey began, Mr. Johnson’s car was found still running in a parking lot just off the highway in St. Charles, Mo. Mr. Johnson was unconscious inside, slumped over the steering wheel. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and began CPR until an ambulance arrived to take him to a nearby hospital. A responding officer told doctors he noticed a strong, sharp smell coming from inside the vehicle. The smell was described in a way characteristic of a large concentration of carbon dioxide.
Mr. Johnson was transported to a nearby hospital where he died three days later. Medical records show that prior to being exposed to dry ice, Mr. Johnson had no pre-existing health conditions that would have caused his death in this manner.
Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife of 42 years and five adult children. Since his death, his wife was forced to close her sewing business to devote herself entirely to running CJS Express and caring for the couple’s two disabled children.
The family filed a lawsuit in 2017 against PFD and its parent company Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., headquartered in Madison County, Ill. The lawsuit alleged employees knew the dangers of transporting dry ice, as dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide gas. Employees had a duty to warn Mr. Johnson that carbon dioxide gas poses an extreme risk of loss of consciousness or death by asphyxiation when used in confined spaces without adequate ventilation.
“Despite fully understanding the dangers of transporting dry ice in a subcompact vehicle, Prairie Farms Dairy never ensured training, written protocols, or that any warnings would go to Mr. Johnson regarding the serious risks involved,” said Plaintiff’s attorney Patrick A. Salvi II. “No one shared this critical safety information with him, and as a result, his death was both tragic and entirely preventable. He leaves behind a wife and two disabled children who relied on him for daily support, along with three adult children who deeply loved their father.”
A trial in the case began on February 19, 2026 in Madison County Circuit Court before the Honorable Dennis Ruth.
During trial, substantial evidence was presented that Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. was responsible for safety protocols at PFD Supply Corporation, and that Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. failed to implement a hazard communication program pursuant to OSHA 1910.1200 that covered the hazards of dry ice. Prairie Farms had been cited for violations of OSHA 1910.1200 before this incident and several times since. Evidence at trial also showed that Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. has not implemented a proper hazard communication program on dry ice despite those citations and despite this incident.
Patrick A. Salvi II, Patrick A. Salvi Sr., Lance D. Northcutt, David J. Rashid and Kristen M. Stoicescu of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
On February 27, 2026, the jury returned their verdict – $49.5 million in compensatory damages and $191.5 million in punitive damages, totaling $241,000,000.00.
“Given the choice, this family would return every dollar for one more day with their husband and father. No verdict can replace Eric or the love and joy he brought into their lives. What it can do, however, is provide the support they now need to move forward without him – and send a clear message to Prairie Farms and companies like them not to cut corners on training and safety,” Patrick A. Salvi II said.
“Our family is very grateful that the jury recognized the gravity of losing our beloved husband and father, Eric, due to the Defendants’ reckless indifference to safety. We are also grateful that the verdict sends a strong message to these Defendants and others to ensure proper communication regarding dangerous chemicals. We hope that this verdict prevents future tragedies like this one,” Paula Johnson, Eric Johnson’s widow, said in a statement.
The family’s legal team will discuss the verdict during a press conference at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 2 at the Law Offices of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard (161 N. Clark St., Suite 3550, Chicago, IL).
The Plaintiff was also represented at trial by attorneys Patrick A. Salvi Sr., Lance D. Northcutt, David J. Rashid, and Kristen M. Stoicescu of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
The defendants were represented at trial by Bharat Varadachari, Troy A. Bozarth, and Emilee M. Bramstedt of HeplerBroom LLC.
For more information, please contact Marcie Mangan at (312) 372-1227 or mmangan@salvilaw.com.
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Case No.: 2017 L 001562 [PAULA JOHNSON, on behalf of herself and Children of ERIC JOHNSON, Deceased; and as Administrator of the Estate of ERIC JOHNSON, Deceased, v. PRAIRIE FARMS DAIRY, INC., an Illinois dairy farmer cooperative and corporation, et al.]
