Damages

Judge Drastically Cuts Award in UPS Discrimination Case, Rejects $198 Million in Punitive Damages

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Yakima, Wash. — In a significant legal adjustment, a federal judge has significantly reduced a punitive damages award against United Parcel Service in a case involving allegations of workplace discrimination and wrongful termination. The initial jury verdict, which sided with former UPS driver Tahvio Gratton, awarded him $237.6 million. However, after further judicial review, the punitive damages were cut down to $39.6 million. The judicial review was prompted by UPS’ appeal, addressing the excessive nature of the punitive award decided by the jury. US District Judge Thomas Rice, ruling on the matter, deemed the original … Read more

Landmark Verdict: U.S. Contractor Held Liable for Torture at Abu Ghraib, Iraqis Awarded $42 Million in Damages

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Falls Church, Virginia — A Virginia jury has awarded $42 million in damages to three Iraqi men who claimed they were tortured by employees of a U.S. defense contractor at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. This ruling, reached on Tuesday, marked the first time a civilian contractor has been found legally accountable for such abuses, which gained global attention in the early 2000s following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The plaintiffs, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, alleged in their 2008 lawsuit that they suffered severe abuses at the hands of CACI Premier … Read more

Jury Finds Major E-Discovery Firm Guilty of Illegally Accessing and Destroying Woman’s Emails, Awards $50K in Damages

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FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth jury recently concluded that Consilio, the Washington, D.C.-based global leader in E-discovery, unlawfully accessed a woman’s computer without authorization, breaching Texas law. The jury found the firm guilty under Title 7, Chapter 33 of the Texas Penal Code, which classifies unauthorized computer access as a Class B Misdemeanor. In a consequential decision, the jury also determined that Consilio was negligent after they overreached an agreement to narrowly search a client’s emails, instead downloading and subsequently destroying ten years’ worth of emails. This action led to the jury awarding … Read more

Somerville Police Officer Wins $800,000 in Damages After Retaliation Verdict Against City Officials

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Somerville, Mass. — A federal court jury in Boston has awarded Mario DiFronzo, a former police officer from the city of Somerville, a total of $800,000 in damages after finding the city and several former officials guilty of First Amendment retaliation and interference with an advantageous relationship. The decision, reached on Wednesday, came after DiFronzo alleged he was unfairly targeted by city leaders for whistleblowing on corruption within the police department. DiFronzo, who joined the Somerville Police Department in 2008, became known as a vocal critic of the department after voicing concerns over practices he … Read more