UP trackman claims spinal injuries

A former Union Pacific Railroad worker has filed suit against the company, claiming he received spinal injuries due to his job as a trackman.

Lincoln Brison claims his job required him to make "highly repetitive stressful back motions and spine motions in his work activities and was required to work with unsafe heavy, awkward, vibrating and torquing equipment," the suit states.

The work caused Brison spine injuries, which required thoracic surgery, according to the complaint filed Oct. 15 in Madison County Circuit Court.

In addition, he may have to undergo lumbar surgery, the suit states.

Because of his injuries, Brison claims he has been prevented from working since March 2007 and has a lost earning capacity and lost wages and benefits.

In addition, Brison has sustained pain, suffering and mental anguish, the suit states.

He claims he has been forced to pay substantial medical costs.

Brison filled out a personal injury report on Sept. 16 for the company after reporting his injures in April, according to the complaint.

He claims Union Pacific was negligent because it failed to provide him with a safe workplace, failed to furnish him with safe equipment, failed to provide equipment to mitigate the effects of the equipment Brison was using, failed to provide safe equipment and failed to prevent the types of stresses that caused the injury.

Union Pacific also negligently failed to provide work methods that do not place an unsafe strain on the spine and failed to ensure Brison was physically able to perform his tasks, the suit states.

Brison is seeking unspecified damages, the suit states.

Daniel R. Francis of the Francis Law Firm in St. Louis will be representing him.