LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carney Shegerian, an employee rights attorney and founder of Shegerian & Associates, a Santa Monica-based litigation law firm representing employees, obtained a discrimination jury verdict Monday for $925,000 in favor of his client, Rene Coello, in downtown Los Angeles Superior Court.
Shegerian’s client worked for global fertilizer corporation Grow More for six years in various labor positions in Los Angeles. Coello was recognized as a very hard and dedicated worker. Then, just months after an on-the-job injury to his knee requiring medical treatment, Coello was fired. Coello filed claims for disability discrimination, failure to accommodate and disability retaliation through attorneys Shegerian and Ebby Bakhtiar of Livingston Bakhtiar.
The jury found in his favor on all claims and unanimously found in favor of punitive damages.
During trial, Coello testified that Grow More terminated his employment because he needed minor accommodations and the stigma related to providing light duty work to employees. He also testified that despite being able to perform all of his job duties, defendant never tried to discuss accommodations with him and just transferred him.
Shegerian argued that the law prohibits all actions taken by Grow, a position the jury sided with. “So many corporations just ignore the rights of the disabled nowadays. They see such employees as creating inefficiencies and costing them money. As a result, they categorically discriminate,” Shegerian notes.
An experienced trial attorney, Shegerian has tried many jury trials to verdict in both state and federal court, always representing individuals that have suffered financial or emotional losses and have been wronged by employers, including major corporations. Shegerian has built a remarkable career on helping those who have been wronged in the workplace. He remains undefeated in federal jury trials and has won 18 seven figure verdicts representing employees.
Located in the City of Santa Monica, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specifically focused on protecting the rights of employees who have been wronged by their employers. Richly experienced in labor and employment law and possessing an unparalleled success record as litigators, Shegerian & Associates is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of its clients. For more information, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com.