BELLEVILLE - A Monroe County man is suing his former employer for allegedly terminating him after he was diagnosed with arthritis.
According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Mark Marchwinski was employed as a sales representative at Culligan Water Soft Company and injured his knee in 2017 while making deliveries.
"When Plaintiff returned to work, he continued to do truck deliveries for defendant," the suit states. "Plaintiff routinely lifted and removed heavy items off the truck. Approximately two months after his injury, plaintiff was diagnosed with a tear in his left knee and osteoarthritis in his knee and was in a significant amount of pain."
In 2021, he was diagnosed with "arthritis in both arms from the neck to the fingertips," the suit states.
He claims he was fired by the company in early 2022, with the company saying they were "just parting ways."
In the lawsuit, Marchwinski claims the company's reason for his firing was false.
"Plaintiff's disability or perceived disability was a motivating factor in defendant's decision to terminate his employment," the suit states.
Marchwinski seeks an unspecified amount of money "for any and all losses or damages he has suffered including back pay, benefits of employment, and front pay." He also seeks punitive damages.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 22LA1059