Railroad Worker Gets Injury Suit Over Switch Defect Reinstated

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co. must defend a negligence lawsuit by a conductor who alleged he was injured by a defective operator switch, the Seventh Circuit decided Wednesday.

There is sufficient evidence in the record for a reasonable jury to find that the railroad knew or should have known of defects in switch MA 27, said Judge David Hamilton for the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Hamilton reversed a lower court’s decision to grant summary judgment to the railroad in Martin Jaranowski’s suit. To succeed on his claims, Jaranowski needed to present evidence that the railroad knew ...