Federal workplace safety officials have ordered the Metro-North Commuter Railroad to pay $125,000 in punitive damages to a Connecticut worker who was injured on the job, The Associated Press reports.
The New Haven Register reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also told Metro-North to promote William Ordner of Stratford to locomotive engineer and to reimburse him for his medical and legal expenses.
Ordner claimed the rail service retaliated against him by passing him over for the promotion and subjecting him to intimidation and harassment because he reported the injury. Ordner injured his left knee in Milford in July 2008 during a break from fence work.
Metro-North officials say they plan to appeal OSHA’s ruling. They say Ordner was injured while standing up during a lunch break and not while working.
