Heather Moore Collins and Anne Hunter secured a jury verdict on April 14, 2017, of $588,522.61 for their client, Tony Gunter, after a week-long jury trial in Federal Court in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Mr. Gunter filed claims of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) after he was unlawfully terminated from his 25-year career due to a disability he had after a workplace injury.
Mr. Gunter’s employer, Bemis Manufacturing, refused to accommodate Mr. Gunter’s disability, even though he could perform his job with minor accommodations.
Instead, Bemis ended Mr. Gunter’s career when he made it very clear to them that all he wanted to do was work. In fact, no managers or co-workers had complained about Mr. Gunter’s ability to perform his job with minor accommodation. Before and after Mr. Gunter’s termination, Bemis continued to refuse to take responsibility for its actions.
A federal court jury in Chattanooga held them responsible.
The attorneys at Heather M. Collins were honored to represent Mr. Gunter in fighting for his civil rights.
The case can be found at Gunter v. Bemis, Case No. 4:16-cv-00037, Eastern District of Chattanooga.
Mr. Gunter’s case demonstrates how critical it is to retain attorneys experienced in representing employees in employment law.
Every step of the way, Bemis maintained its wrongful termination of Mr. Gunter was proper; but because the attorneys at Heather M. Collins only practice employment law, they addressed the nuanced legal arguments effectively and achieved a result that vindicated the violation of Mr. Gunter’s civil rights.
