Civil Justice Reform
California CALA Groups

LABORING AGAINST LITIGIOUS LABORERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: PETER BYLSMA
PHONE: 310-795-8532
August 31, 2007

(Los Angeles, CA) – Every year, American workers take the first Monday of September to celebrate the economic fruits of their labor. This year, Los Angeles Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (LA CALA) calls attention to some of the numerous lawsuits employees file against their employers that have made the weekend less than a holiday for some businesses. While many suits have merit, to help ensure those merited suits get their day in court LA CALA is taking the opportunity to highlight some from 2007 that we labor to understand:

  • A marital spat in New York resulted in a lawsuit against the couple's shared employer. An adulterous police officer was shot by his wife, also a police officer, after she discovered he had strayed. The wounded officer sued the NYPD for $3 million, claiming the department should have known his wife was too crazy to carry a gun. (New York Post, March 31, 2007)

  • Something doesn't smell right about a woman's suit against the city of Detroit because her coworker's strong perfume inhibited her from doing her job. She's seeking "unspecified damages." However, she may be feeling optimistic since in 2005, a deejay in Detroit was awarded $10.6 million after she claimed to be sickened by a coworker's perfume. That award was later cut down to a paltry $814,000. (Detroit News, July 4, 2007)

  • In Massachusetts, a female pharmacist was fired after leaving the pharmacy unattended, during which time she allowed a technician used her computer security code to issue prescriptions, including a fraudulent prescription for a painkiller. She sued her former employer claiming she was fired for having asked for a raise and that no males had ever been fired for her infraction. Her employer disputed these claims. A jury eventually awarded the pharmacist $2 million, including $1 million in punitive damages. (USA Today, June 20, 2007)

"It is unfortunate that businesses have to waste valuable time and resources on lawsuits filed by employees clearly trying to make a quick buck," said Peter Bylsma, executive director of LA CALA. "Employers' rights are diminished by these types of lawsuits. On Labor Day, we should all take a minute to realize that frivolous lawsuits spoil many of the fruits of our labor."

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is the leading nonprofit, grassroots public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain. For more information, visit www.losangelescala.org.