For many folks, working from home – since March of 2020 – has taken a huge toll on our health and well-being. For some employees with disabilities, such as ADHD, depression, or anxiety, working at home can be even more difficult. Social isolation and the lack of structure can exacerbate depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other […]
Disability Rights for All of Us in the Time of Coronavirus
As employment lawyers, the most common questions we are hearing are “My company is trying to make me come back to work in the office, but do I really have to put myself at risk?” and “Doesn’t my boss need to let me continue to work from home?” For people who have an underlying medical […]
Darci Burrell Chosen to Edit Disability Rights Chapter in Rutter Guide
Partner Darci Burrell has been selected as a Contributing Chapter Editor for the 2019 Rutter Guide treatise on Employment Law. Ms. Burrell, working with Ann Noel (the Co-Director of the Sexual Harassment/Violence Working Group at the Berkeley Center of Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law) is responsible for the chapter concerning Disability Discrimination. The treatise is […]
LVBH Wins $325,000 Jury Verdict Against Lawrence Berkeley Labs
On May 24, 2019, LVBH won a $325,000 jury verdict in Alameda County Superior Court against the UC Regents and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on behalf of Kathy Eidson, a long-time employee of the Lab. Ms. Eidson began working at the Lab in 2001 as an electrician. In 2006, she fell off a ladder […]
Trial Victory on Behalf of Long-Term Employee of Raley’s
On July 14, 2017, LVBH won an award of both compensatory and emotional distress damages on behalf of Janet Check, a long term employee of Raley’s grocery store. Ms. Check had worked for Raley’s for 32 years, primarily as a bookkeeper. Despite her many years of loyal service, when Ms. Check returned to work after […]
Multi-Million Dollar Verdict for Whistleblower Firefighter
A Solano County jury brought in a $2,357,000 verdict for apprentice firefighter in his lawsuit against the City of Vallejo. The jury found that the Vallejo Fire Department retaliated against Mr. Milan for complaining to OSHA about regulation violations that occurred at a fire, and that the fire department failed to accommodate the post-traumatic stress disorder he developed at the fire. Partners Leslie Levy and Sharon Vinick prosecuted the case through nine weeks of the trial in Milan v. City of Vallejo.
$3 Million Jury Award against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams won a jury trial in Alameda County on behalf of a licensed RN, who had been employed by The Permanent Medical Group and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals for almost 20 years at the time of her termination. The nurse received excellent performance reviews, including one two months before she announced her need for leave. Her supervisors started writing her up almost immediately after she requested a medical leave, placed her on a performance improvement plan after her return from leave, and ultimately terminated her. The jury trial lasted six weeks and resulted in an jury verdict awarding over $3,000,000 in damages. For more information about this case, Metzner v. The Permanente Medical Group, et al., follow this link to the press release.
Confidential Resolution in Tenure Discrimination Case
A long-time professor brought a lawsuit against the university alleging denial of tenure because of gender and disability discrimination. To reach the resolution, partners Jean Hyams and Leslie Levy combed through thousands of pages of tenure files, deposed high-level university officials, and represented the plaintiff during mediation.
Settlement of $600,000 for School Teacher Subject To Disability Discrimination
When the Pleasanton Unified School District refused to provide reasonable accommodations for a veteran school teacher and falsely claimed that the teacher’s disabilities prevented her from performing her job, partner Leslie Levy filed suit. In the end, the school district agreed to a settlement valued at over $600,000 to redress the wrong it inflicted on […]
Jury Verdict and Fee Award of over $1 Million for Grocery Clerk who Albertsons Failed to Accommodate
A Marin County jury found that Albertsons violated the civil rights of a grocery clerk by failing to deliver the reasonable accommodation it had promised. Partner Leslie Levy took the case even though it involved only a single incident of failure to accommodate because she was incensed by the way the employer violated the civil […]
Lawsuits Against BART Result in Improved Access for Disabled Patrons
Partner Leslie Levy brought two cases against BART on behalf of passengers with disabilities. These cases have made the system more accessible to the people with disabilities who rely on BART trains for transportation. Because of one lawsuit, BART installed edge detection rubber flooring at all of its stations to assist people who are blind […]
LVBH Sues Golden Gate Fields on Behalf of an Injured Groundskeeper
For more than a dozen years, Alejandro Muñoz worked as a year-round Laborer/Groundskeeper at the Golden Gate Fields. He injured his knee at work. In 2015, Muñoz had a knee replacement. Thereafter, his doctor released him to work with no restrictions, because his doctor believe that Mr. Muñoz could perform all the essential functions of his […]
