Former Farmers Insurance Attorney Awarded $155 Million by Jury in California Retaliation Suit
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A jury awarded a former Farmers Insurance Attorney that sued for wrongful termination and retaliation $155 million.
The Case: Andrew Rudnicki v. Farmers Insurance Exchange and Farmers Insurance Group
The Court: Superior Court for the State of California, County of Los Angeles, Central District
The Case No.: BC630158
The Plaintiff: Andrew Rudnicki
The plaintiff in the case, Andrew Rudnicki, ran Farmers Insurance’s in-house branch legal offices. He claims he was wrongfully terminated and that other civil rights of his were also violated. Rudnicki describes the decision to terminate his employment as discriminatory or retaliatory. According to the lawsuit, Rudnicki was with Farmers for 37 years before he was fired. He started as a trial attorney in 1979 and rose from supervising attorney to senior vice president.
The Defendant: Farmers Insurance & Farmers Insurance Group
When Rudnicki was being prepared to offer deposition testimony in another case, Coates v. Farmers Insruance Group Inc., the trouble started. Rudnicki was aware of certain pay data that the company withheld that probably instigated the Coates case, an equal pay case in California federal court. Rudnicki had information regarding sex bias occurring in the companies’ legal departments, as well. The Coates was eventually settled, and Rudnicki pointed out that he played a part in significantly increasing the number of women in management jobs during his tenure as vice president.
Details About the Case: Andrew Rudnicki v. Farmers Insurance Exchange and Farmers Insurance Group
According to the jury, Rudnicki’s role as a witness (or a potential witness) in the sex bias case was a substantial motivating factor behind his termination from Farmer’s. The jury’s verdict came down in favor of Rudnick including $150 million in punitive damages. It’s been said the $150 million award is the third-largest of its kind in the state and the largest ever seen in Los Angeles County.
If you have questions about California employment law or if you need to file a class action wage and hour lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.
