Metra employee sues over injury

A Cook County man is suing over claims he sustained injuries as a result of an unsafe workplace at a Chicago railroad yard.

Dominick Russo Jr. filed a lawsuit Feb. 10 in the Cook County District Court against Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp., doing business as Metra, citing negligence.

Russo claims on Aug. 20, 2012, he was crossing over the ballast of a track at Metra's Western Avenue Yard in Chicago. According to the suit, Russo crossed the track at a spot many employees would use as a result of the designated crossing area being several hundred feet away.

Russo claims the employees were not given safe and convenient areas to cross the tracks.

He is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, as well as court costs, and is being represented in the case by Oak Park attorney Ben Crane of Coplan & Crane Ltd.

Cook County District Court Case No. 2014L001329.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Courthouse. 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.