Railroad worker blames fall on employer, boots with cleats

A man is suing a national railroad carrier over claims he fell on flooring material because his employer required him to wear boots with cleats.

Steven Zrnich filed a lawsuit Jan. 15 in Cook County Circuit Court against Union Pacific Railroad Co.

According to the complaint, Zrnich was assigned to work in a cab owned by the defendant and fell on Jan. 23, 2012, when his cleats got caught in the flooring material of the locomotive while exiting the cab.

Zrnich alleges Union Pacific Railroad Co. negligently required him to wear boots with cleats when it knew or should have known that cleats would pose a tripping and walking hazard. He further claims the defendant failed to comply with the Locomotive Inspection Act, which requires all parts of the machine be in proper and safe condition for operation.

As a result of the fall, Zrnich contends he sustained injuries to the head, neck, shoulder, ankle, wrist, arm and back.

Zrnich is represented by attorney Richard A. Haydu of Hoey & Farina in Chicago.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. 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 represents only one side of the story.