Labor & Employment
Maintenance Worker Wins $160K Award for Sprained Ankle, Due to Retaliation
A train maintenance worker who stepped off of a 12-inch platform while carrying garbage bags and sprained her ankle won a $160,000 award last week against her employer.
Although Nicole Anderson fully recovered from the sprain, she was initially fired and then reinstated and disciplined after reporting the on-the-job injury, which apparently resulted from a tripping hazard. Hence, an administrative law judge at the U.S. Department of Labor ordered Amtrak to pay her $2,667 for lost wages, $60,000 in compensation for being fired and $100,000 in punitive damages because of the rail carrier’s retaliation, according to the Seattle Times.
