$2.5M Awarded to Healthcare Workers in CHI Medical Group Wage and Hour Case

The Blankenship Law Firm

Commitment to justice with proven results

Scott Blankenship and the Blankenship Law Firm have a proven track record of success with multiple million dollar settlements.  Scott has represented employees with a multitude of different issues ranging from discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment.    

$2,500,000

Class action arbitration (unpaid wages and overtime)

$2.5 million awarded to Washington healthcare workers in class action arbitration.

Description

The doctors, Michael Romney, Faron Bauer, and Kristen Childress, filed individual wrongful discharge claims and a class action lawsuit on behalf of employees at Prompt Cares and Urgent Cares on November 13, 2013 in Washington State Court.

Dr. Romney and Dr. Bauer were fired without warning and “without cause” from St. Anthony’s Care, now known as Franciscan Prompt Care, in May 2013. According to class counsel from The Blankenship Law Firm, Scott Blankenship: “The termination happened just days before they could formally present their concerns to the physician compensation committee for resolution.” Romney and Bauer were awarded more than $8.78 million in March 2020 for wrongful dismissal and other claims. They were the longest serving providers in FMG’s prompt-care facility. 

$8,780,000

Wrongful Discharge & Whistleblower

$8.78 million awarded to doctors fired for reporting patient harm.

Description

Dr. Michael Romney and Dr. Faron Bauer refused to silently allow FMG management to brush patient harm under the rug, and allow an impaired physician to continue practicing without restrictions.  On May 19, 2013, both doctors were fired without warning and without cause from the St. Anthony’s Prompt Care in Gig Harbor, Washington. At the time, they were the longest serving providers in all of  FMG’s Prompt Care facilities in Washington.

The $8.78 million dollar decision came after a 15-day hearing in Seattle. The Honorable Louise LaMothe, United States Federal Magistrate Judge, acting as a private arbitrator, ruled that Dr. Romney’s and Dr. Bauer’s employers wrongfully discharged them in violation of Washington Public Policy “for reporting and assisting others to report what they and other employees saw as the impairment of a physician.”

$450,000

Sexual Harassment

$450,000 awarded to a women in a sexual harassment and retaliation case. 

Description

Former employee Rebecca Flores settled her federal sexual harassment and retaliation case against Koelsch for $450,000 with significant non-monetary remedial relief in a Consent Decree entered in federal court today (No. 3:18-cv-05792 BHS).

Lead trial counsel for the former employee, Seattle attorneys Scott C. G. Blankenship and Rick Goldsworthy of The Blankenship Law Firm, PLLC, negotiated the settlement along with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) lead counsel Carmen Flores, Supervisory Trial Attorney John Stanley, and Regional Attorney Roberta Steele. The trial was set to begin in May 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma.

$1,700,000

Class Action (Wage & Overtime)

$1.7 million wage settlement against AA Window & Gutter.

Description

The Superior Court in King County, Washington granted final approval for the payment of $1.7 million dollars for a class action lawsuit brought by Washington and Oregon technicians against a Kirkland, Washington based company, Quick & Clear, doing business as AA Window and Gutter Cleaning. The lawsuit was filed on December 9, 2016 to recover unpaid wages owed for off-the-clock work by technicians who performed roof, window, and gutter cleaning services. The lawsuit resulted in a recovery for unpaid drive-time, compensation for towel washing, fines and penalty assessments, and overtime calculations that did not include bonuses.

$1,850,000

Race Discrimination & Harassment

$1.85 million dollar settlement awarded for a former crewmember on an Alaskan fishing vessel in a race harassment lawsuit.

Description

A former crewmember on a 155-foot Alaskan fishing vessel on the Bering Sea finalized his settlement in a race harassment lawsuit against his former employer, Alaska Longline, LLC. The case was scheduled for a jury trial in May 2017.  Mr. Francisco Miranda, a U.S. Citizen of Mexican National Origin, testified that the captain of the ship targeted him and other crewmembers based on their race and Mexican heritage. The Captain openly announced his animus towards Mexican immigration and the Hispanic crew.

$2,500,000

Wrongful Discharge

$2.5 million awarded to Washington Tacoma physician Ramon Añel to settle his wrongful discharge, defamation, and malicious prosecution lawsuit

Description

The Blankenship Law Firm announces that Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and two local Tacoma-based subsidiaries, CHI Franciscan Health and Franciscan Medical Group (FMG), agreed to pay Washington Tacoma physician Ramon Añel $2.5 million to settle his wrongful discharge, defamation, and malicious prosecution lawsuit.

$3,960,000

Race & National Origin Discrimination

$3.96 million awarded to a Chinese immigrant and executive in a national origin case against his former employer

Description

hinese immigrant and executive wins his race and national origin case against his former employer, receiving lost wages and $2.6 million in punitive damages. The jury’s unanimous ruling was upheld on appeal by the Ninth Circuit in 2003, with the U.S. Supreme Court declining review in 2004. According to Jury Verdicts Northwest, at the time, the verdict was the largest discrimination award in the Northwest. The case was selected by the National Employment Lawyers Association as one of the five most important cases nationally for employee rights in the last 20 years. 2004.

$2,400,000

Sexual harassment and Retaliation

$2.4 million awarded to two fired employees of Fry’s Electronics.

Description

After being sanctioned $100,000 for discovery abuses in federal court and completing a week-long arbitration, Fry’s paid $2.3 million to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by two fired employees. The result was one of the highest recoveries per plaintiff nationwide in the history of the EEOC. 2012.

$1,650,000

Race Discrimination & Retaliation

$1.65 million awarded to a decorated police officer in a federal race and retaliation case

Description

Nationally decorated Vancouver, Washington police officer settled his federal race and retaliation case against the City of Vancouver for $1,650,000. In addition, Officer Sharma’s personnel file will reflect that he retired in good standing with his official law enforcement credentials reflecting his honorable years of service. The settlement is believed to be one of the largest reported–if not the largest–employment case settlement in Washington State history involving a single plaintiff. 2008.

$1,720,000

Sexual Harassment

$1.72 million awarded to three Lowe’s employees.

Description

Three former hourly Lowe’s employees settled their federal court sexual harassment and retaliation case for 1.72 million dollars. According to the EEOC filings, this is the largest EEOC settlement per employee in a sexual harassment case in the Western United States. 2009.

$1,185,000

Discrimination & Retaliation

$1.185 million awarded to former Mercer Island Deputy City Manager

Description

The City of Mercer Island paid one million dollars to its former Deputy City Manager to settle her discrimination and retaliation claims. Additionally, the City was ordered to pay $185,000 by federal court for Public Record Act violations. Ms. Lindell had alleged that Mercer Island terminated her employment in retaliation for reporting violations of City policy and state and federal law. 2011.

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