San Bernardino, California — In a landmark decision, a jury in Southern California has ruled that Walmart must pay $34.7 million to a former truck driver who the retail giant accused of violating company policy after he was injured on the job. The worker, Jesus Fonesca, received more than $9.7 million in compensatory damages and an additional $25 million in punitive damages.
The case stemmed from a 2017 incident where Fonesca sustained injuries from a vehicle accident while on duty, leading to strict medical limitations on his physical activities at work. He was prohibited from engaging in activities such as pushing, pulling, or lifting weights over 5 to 10 pounds and was restricted from commercial driving, based on doctors’ orders.
Despite these restrictions being explicitly linked to his workplace duties, Walmart’s third-party investigators later filmed Fonesca driving an RV during personal time. This led the company to conclude he had violated their integrity and ethics rules. Walmart subsequently terminated his employment, citing dishonesty and breach of trust.
During the trial, Fonesca argued that he understood his restrictions to be applicable only during work hours and not while off duty. The San Bernardino jury concluded that Walmart had acted negligently and with malice in their dismissal of Fonesca. They found the company had failed to accurately verify the claims against him before taking action, which directly harmed his reputation and career.
In defense, Walmart expressed strong disagreement with the jury’s verdict, which they described as disproportionate to the events in question. The company indicated plans to seek further legal recourse, maintaining that the jury’s decision did not align with the actual facts of the case.
Industry experts argue that this case underscores the complexities surrounding workplace injuries and employer surveillance. It highlights a growing tension between employee privacy and the lengths to which employers can go to monitor their staff, suggesting a need for clearer guidelines and better communication about policy implications outside the workplace.
The decision also opens up broader conversations about the responsibilities of large corporations in handling employee rights, especially in cases involving worker compensation and the boundaries of employer oversight.
Legal professionals are closely watching the outcome to see how it might influence future policies on employee treatment post-injury and the implications of employer surveillance practices.
This case could potentially set a precedent, encouraging more employees to challenge unfair dismissals and defamatory accusations related to workplace injuries.
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