A railroad worker is suing a major rail carrier, alleging injuries suffered while working in a local rail yard.
Keith T. Gabriel filed a lawsuit June 10 in Cook County Circuit Court against Union Pacific Railroad Co., alleging negligence.
According to the complaint, on July 20 ,2013, Gabriel was working for Union Pacific when he was injured in the Proviso Railroad Yard in Northlake. The suit says the defendant did not provide the "necessary tools, appliances and equipment" when Gabriel was cutting and physically moving large rail ties, causing him to ultimately suffer severe injury, pain and suffering, impairment and medical expenses.
The lawsuit states Union Pacific failed to provide the right tools and equipment for the job, provide Gabriel with adequate help and manpower, provide him with a safe workplace, did not assign him work that was reasonable, properly instruct him on how to perform the work at hand, warn him and others of a dangerous condition, furnish him with a proper work plan, issue adequate rules, policies or procedures, issue reasonable work orders, require the plaintiff to work in a safe environment, provide safety appliances and use caution in advising employees.
Gabriel seeks unspecified damages in excess of the court's jurisdictional limits, plus costs. He is represented by attorney David W. Conover of the Kenneth J. Allen Law Group in Valparaiso, Ind.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L005862.