California Employment Law Notes

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Krupnick v. Duke Energy Morro Bay, 115 Cal. App. 4th 1026 (2004)

John Krupnick filed this personal injury action against Duke Energy Morro Bay on January 8, 2003 for injuries allegedly sustained on January 26, 2001. Duke filed a demurrer on the ground that the action was barred by the one-year statute of limitations of former California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340(3). Krupnick…

Hagan Eng’g, Inc. v. Mills, 115 Cal. App. 4th 1004 (2003)

Hagan Engineering, Inc., sued several of its former employees in state court, including Daniel G. Mills (collectively, “Mills”), for misappropriation of its trade secrets and related claims; Mills sued Hagan in federal court, alleging violations of ERISA. Eventually, the parties entered into a global settlement and dismissed both lawsuits with prejudice. Within two…

People v. Laiwala, 115 Cal. App. 4th 850, 9 Cal. Rptr. 3d 466 (2004)

Sadrudin Laiwala, a former engineer of Odeum Microsystems, a division of Hyundai Electronics America, allegedly copied and took with him a “DVD copy protection system” immediately prior to his departure from the company. Laiwala was criminally prosecuted for violation of California Penal Code Section 499c, which prohibits the theft of…

Lathrop v. HealthCare Partners Med. Group, 114 Cal. App. 4th 1412 (2004)

Terry Lathrop and her husband sued HealthCare Partners, among others, for their failure to diagnose her breast cancer. The jury apportioned 58% of the fault to HealthCare Partners, which argued that it was subject to the $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages that is set forth in the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act…

Moreau v. Air France, 356 F.3d 942 (9th Cir. 2003)

Stephane Moreau worked as the Assistant Station Manager for Air France at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Moreau requested a 12-week leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act to assist his ill father in France. Air France denied Moreau’s request on the ground that it employed…

Ali v. L.A. Focus Publication, 112 Cal. App. 4th 1477 (2003)

Najee Ali, who worked as the community affairs columnist for L.A. Focus Publication, was terminated after he expressed support while a guest on a local radio program for Antonio Villaraigosa, a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, and criticized United States Representative Maxine Waters for supporting another candidate, James Hahn, in the upcoming…

Liu v. Amway Corp., 347 F.3d 1125 (9th Cir. 2003)

Xin Liu lost her job as a scientist in the Concentrate Development Department of the Nutrilite Division of Amway approximately 18 months after she was hired. Liu, who was on a leave of absence following her pregnancy, was informed that her position had been eliminated during a downsizing that followed a merger of her…

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. WCAB, 112 Cal. App. 4th 1435 (2003)

Velta Elaine Garcia suffered an orthopedic injury to her back while employed by Wal-Mart. At the time of the injury, Garcia had worked at Wal-Mart for fewer than six months. Four years after the incident, Garcia amended her workers’ compensation claim to assert that she had suffered damage to her psyche resulting from…

Taylor v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 113 Cal. App. 4th 380 (2003)

Walter Taylor filed suit against Lockheed Martin Corporation alleging, among other things, wrongful termination in violation of Labor Code §§ 1102.5 and 6310 (prohibiting retaliation against an employee who has complained about unsafe working conditions in the workplace). Taylor, a member of the International Association of Machinists, also filed a grievance with the…

Murphy v. Schneider Nat’l, Inc., 349 F.3d 1224 (9th Cir. 2003)

Charles E. Murphy was injured on premises owned by Trane Company while he was working as a long-haul trucker for Schneider National, Inc. Murphy filed a personal injury action against Schneider (which had failed to maintain a workers’ compensation policy) and Trane in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon…