Jury Awards $241 Million for Fatal Dry Ice Transport Incident

EDWARDSVILLE — A Madison County jury has awarded $241 million to the family of a courier who died after transporting dry ice in Missouri, finding Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. and related entities liable nearly a decade after the 2016 incident, according to information released on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, by the family’s attorneys.

The verdict, returned Feb. 27, 2026, includes $49.5 million in compensatory damages and $191.5 million in punitive damages. The case stems from the death of Eric Johnson, 64, who became unconscious while driving after coolers containing dry ice were loaded into his vehicle at PFD Supply’s facility in St. Charles, Mo., according to the lawsuit and trial summary provided by Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. The lawsuit was filed in 2017.

On the morning of Aug. 5, 2016, Johnson arrived at PFD Supply, a subsidiary of Prairire Farms Dairy, Inc., to transport four coolers of frozen strawberries filled with dry ice to Fayetteville, Ark. An employee loaded the coolers into the back of Johnson’s vehicle, but “no one provided him with warnings regarding how to safely transport the cargo,” according to the lawsuit description.

About an hour and a half after his journey began, Johnson’s car was found still running in a parking lot just off the highway in St. Charles, with Johnson unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel, the summary said.

Emergency personnel performed CPR until an ambulance took him to a nearby hospital. A responding officer told doctors he noticed a “strong, sharp smell” from inside the vehicle, described as characteristic of a large concentration of carbon dioxide, according to the summary. Johnson died three days later.

“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 Patrick A. Salvi II, a plaintiff’s attorney.

During the trial, which began Feb. 19 in Madison County Circuit Court before Judge Dennis Ruth, “substantial evidence was presented” that Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. was responsible for safety protocols at PFD Supply Corporation and failed to implement a hazard communication program under OSHA 1910.1200 covering dry ice hazards, according to the summary from the plaintiff’s attorneys. The summary also said Prairie Farms had been cited for violations of OSHA 1910.1200 before the incident and several times since.

“Given the choice, this family would return every dollar for one more day with their husband and father,” Salvi said. “No verdict can replace Eric or the love and joy he brought into their lives.”

Paula Johnson, Eric Johnson’s widow, said in a statement, “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.”

The family was represented at trial by Salvi II, Patrick A. Salvi Sr., Lance D. Northcutt, David J. Rashid and Kristen M. Stoicescu of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. The defendants were represented by Bharat Varadachari, Troy A. Bozarth and Emilee M. Bramstedt of HeplerBroom LLC.

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