Former Railroad Employee Claims Injuries Caused By Worn Out Seat

A former employee of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company has filed a four-count suit against the railroad corporation, alleging that his work caused him to suffer personal injuries to his neck, back, and spine.

According to the suit filed in Illinois’ Madison County Circuit Court on March 2 by James Bahm, who began working with the company in May 1976, a “defective, worn out seat” he was sitting on as the train ran over rough tracks caused him to suffer injuries as he was working as an engineer near Emporia, Kansas on November 24.

Bahm claims that his injuries caused him to experienced extreme pain and suffering, medical expenses, mental anguish and anxiety, lost wages and benefits, and an impaired ability to work.

The suit alleges negligence on the part of BNSF Railway for allowing an engine that produced excessive vertical motion to be used, allowing an engine not in proper condition and not properly inspected to be used, allowing an engine that endangered the crew’s safety to be used, and allowing the engine to by equipped with a seat with deficient cushioning.

The suit also claims BNSF was negligent for failure to provide Bahm with a safe workplace, failure to properly maintain its track in a safe condition, failure to maintain safe conditions, failure to provide safe equipment and work methods, failure to take action to reduce the amount of cumulative trauma suffered by Bahm, failure to test employees for the physical effects of said trauma, and failure to properly inspect its equipment and track.

Bahm seeks damages in excess of $200,000.