Employee sues W.W. Grainger after termination

A man is suing his former employer over claims of retaliatory discharge.

Joseph Wapniarski filed a lawsuit on Oct. 18 in the Circuit Court of Cook County against his former employer W.W. Grainger, citing unlawful retaliation for pursuing rights under the Worker's Compensation Act.

Wapniarski states he failed to receive worker's compensation benefits after he suffered a work related injury on July 15, 2011. The complaint contends Wapniarski was never offered light duty work as required by the Worker's Compensation Act.

The defendant fired the plaintiff on Oct. 25, 2012, in retaliation for exercising his worker's compensation rights, the complaint claims.

The plaintiff is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages, including punitive damages. He is represented in the case by Chicago attorney Karl E. Hunsicker.

Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 2013L011543.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.