WILLIAMSON — A former employee is suing Norfolk Southern Railway Company for injuries he suffered while doing his employment.
Richard D. Parks was employed by Norfolk and was pulling spikes that were spiked into evergrip plates on June 5, 2019, when he was severely injured, according to a complaint filed in Mingo Circuit Court.
Parks claims the defendant failed to provide safe and suitable tools and equipment to perform the tasks he was assigned to do and failed to furnish him with reasonably necessary and proper equipment for his assigned duties.
The defendant failed to warn Parks of the hazardous conditions and allowed unsafe practices to become standard practice, according to the suit.
Parks claims he was not afforded a reasonably safe place to work and failed to provide him with safe methods to work.
"That as a result, in whole or in part, of one or more of the foregoing negligent acts or omissions, Plaintiff sustained severe and permanent injuries to his back, neck, spine, right shoulder, and body, resulting in disability and disfigurement and which has caused and will cause him in the future to suffer great pain and mental anguish..." the complaint state.
Parks claims he lost earnings and will continue to lose earnings in the future.
The defendant's negligence and carelessness caused Parks to sustain severe injuries to his body, according to the suit.
Parks claims the defendant knew or should have known that the unsafe working conditions would result in injury to him.
The defendant also failed to properly supervise the plaintiff and failed to furnish him with reasonably necessary and proper tools with which to perform his duties, according to the suit.
Parks is seeking damages in the amount of $10 million. He is represented by Benjamin P. Tobin of Pratt & Tobin in East Alton, Ill.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Miki Thompson
Mingo Circuit Court case number: 21-C-141