BELLEVILLE – A railway employee responsible for refueling locomotives claims he was injured when his truck was struck by a train.
Plaintiff Virgil Mathias filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against The Alton & Southern Railway Company and The Union Pacific Railroad Company, citing negligence and carelessness.
According to the lawsuit, Mathias was an employee of the defendants, and his job duties included driving a fuel truck to refuel locomotives in the defendants' facilities. The lawsuit states that on Feb. 20, 2021, Mathias was driving his refueling truck when a locomotive suddenly struck his vehicle, causing him to suffer severe injuries. Mathias claims that he had previously reported safety concerns to his employer regarding how closely he had to park his truck to the locomotives.
According to the lawsuit, the defendants failed to provide reasonably safe conditions to protect Mathias' safety.
Mathias claims to have experienced pain, suffering and mental anguish. He also claims his ability to enjoy normal daily life and earn income in the future has been negatively impacted. Mathias adds that he has incurred medical costs and will require the services of medical staff to recover from his injuries.
The plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus court costs and any other relief the court deems proper. He is represented in this case by attorneys Steven L. Groves, Ryan M. Furniss, and Gregory L. Shevlin in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 23LA0038