TACOMA, Wash. – A former BNSF Railway locomotive engineer is suing the Class I railroad because he was allegedly fired after preventing a wreck at a yard in Portland, Ore., the Seattle Times reports. Earlier this month, a federal judge denied a motion by the railroad to throw out the case.
According to court documents, James T. Norvell, a 13-year veteran of the railroad, was operating a transfer job between two yards in Portland in 2015 when the locomotive’s brakes failed. Norvell put the locomotive in reverse, bringing it to a stop but causing significant damage. Norvell was terminated soon after. The engineer says he should not be fired because the railroad failed to maintain its locomotives and because his actions prevented a derailment or worse.
BNSF denies all of the allegations within the suit.
