Carney R. Shegerian, an employee rights attorney and founder of Shegerian & Associates, a Santa Monica-based litigation law firm representing employees, discloses a jury verdict from October 5, 2010 for $8,200,000 in favor of his firm’s client, Maria Martinez.
Mrs. Martinez, a former pharmacy technician for 23.5 years at Rite Aid Corporation in Los Angeles, worked for the company since she was 19 years old, starting in 1983. She was fired in July of 2007. She won her wrongful termination, harassment and invasion of privacy superior court lawsuit, obtaining an award of more than eight million dollars as decided by a jury of twelve persons in downtown Los Angeles.
Martinez sued alleging wrongful termination, disability discrimination, retaliation for complaining of sexual harassment in addition to invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury found in her favor on all of these claims. Attorney Carney Shegerian filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court in November of 2008.
During trial, Martinez testified that Rite Aid Corporation had harassed her following a disability medical leave of absence and invaded her privacy by disclosing her medical condition to numerous other employees who had no legitimate reason to know about the same. Such employees, upon her return to work, repeatedly called her numerous derogatory names including “psycho” and “go see your psychotherapist” while questioning her work abilities and writing her up for manufactured issues. She also testified that despite being able to perform all of her duties, Rite Aid Corporation transferred her around and eventually fabricated a reason to fire her.
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 14 seven figure verdicts representing employees.