Jennings v. Illinois Central Railroad

Plaintiff Theo Jennings appeals the trial court’s order entering summary judgment in favor of Defendant/Appellee Illinois Central Railroad Company. We affirm the trial court’s judgment based on our conclusion that, even when viewed in the light most favorable to Jennings, the evidence fails to support a cause of action against the Railroad under the Federal Employer’s Liability Act.

On July 11, 1995, Jennings was injured while working as a trackman for the Railroad. As part of his job duties, Jennings used a maul hammer to drive spikes into railroad ties. On that day, when Jennings hit a spike…