It always feels good when the jury does the right thing. Thursday, a jury awarded Douglas County teen Missy Martin $11 million in general and puntive damages. The money won't heal Missy Martin, but it will make her life easier and ensure she gets the medical care she needs.

Martin was 16 years old when a Union Pacific train hit her stalled car at a Castle Rock railroad crossing in November 2002. Her family claimed that the train conductor could have pulled the emergency brakes when he saw Martin's car on the tracks. Their attorney argued that when the train rounded a curve the conductor could see that her vehicle was already in harm's way and he did nothing about it. ....Because of the crash, Martin suffered a severe brain injury and spent nearly two months in a coma. Doctors say she may need physical therapy for the rest of her life and will not be able to hold a steady job. The former high school cheerleader who had aspired to be a nurse now walks with a cane and attends community college part-time.