Huh? Jury gives UPS employee $27k — but judge OKs $700k in legal fees

[cheryl]

Huh? Jury gives UPS employee $27k — but judge OKs $700k in legal fees - HR Morning

United Parcel Service was sued by Kim Muniz, who said the delivery giant had discriminated against her when she was demoted from her position as division manager. A jury found for Muniz and awarded her about $27,000 — about $10k in lost earnings, $7,300 in medical expenses and just under $10k for her “economic loss.”

That’s not the bad part. Muniz sued for attorneys’ fees — and a federal court awarded her almost $700,000. In other words, Muniz was awarded legal fees that were more than 25 times the damages approved by the jury.

 

[Returntosender]

I like the word "negligent supervision and training"

 

[Catatonic]

These lawsuits are all about lawyers making money anyway.

I like the law that the government put into effect for Social Security Disability limiting the lawyer fees to 25% of the recovered losses by the claimant.

Of course, that is protecting the government from lawyers.

 

[oldngray]

The government lawyers are already paid by the taxpayers so limiting lawyer fees only works to hinder any lawsuits against the government - as intended.

 

[Catatonic]

The government lawyers are already paid by the taxpayers so limiting lawyer fees only works to hinder any lawsuits against the government - as intended.

SSD is fought for by private lawyers on the behalf of the claimants.
The actual work is done by paralegals and clerks with an actual lawyer having maybe a thousand or more clients.

 

[oldngray]

SSD is fought for by private lawyers on the behalf of the claimants.
The actual work is done by paralegals and clerks with an actual lawyer having maybe a thousand or more clients.

True but that law limits the amount the claimant's legal team can spend. If the government drags the case out it will be expensive even with most of work done by clerks and paralegals. The government has no such restriction so its in their interest to tie cases up in courts as much as possible to discourage lawsuits and hope most people will give up rather than go through a long legal battle. And its the lawyers who always win regardless of the outcome.

 

[sportsjock]

This Manager is a Manager in my Center

 

[Anonymous 10]

This Manager is a Manager in my Center

Care to elaborate?

 

[sportsjock]

I don't know the whole story, its been hush hush..This particular manager is a great manager and she protects and stands up for her drivers. Shes not a push over at all. I do know she just came back to work last year the case must have been still pending. They kept saying she was out on injury which did not make sense. Our hub has a history of having issues with women managers, and this time they ran across the wrong one to mess with.

 

[Catatonic]

I don't know the whole story, its been hush hush..This particular manager is a great manager and she protects and stands up for her drivers. Shes not a push over at all. I do know she just came back to work last year the case must have been still pending. They kept saying she was out on injury which did not make sense. Our hub has a history of having issues with women managers, and this time they ran across the wrong one to mess with.

I think I see the problem already!

 

[CaliforniaPaul]

I don't know the whole story, its been hush hush..This particular manager is a great manager and she protects and stands up for her drivers. Shes not a push over at all. I do know she just came back to work last year the case must have been still pending. They kept saying she was out on injury which did not make sense. Our hub has a history of having issues with women managers, and this time they ran across the wrong one to mess with.

I worked with her in the Oakland building and she is a great UPSer!!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Do the lawyers keep all of the $700K or would some of that go to the plaintiff?