Sonoma County Jury Awards $6.5 Million To Agoraphobic Worker

[Sequoia]

A Sonoma County civil jury has awarded $6.5 million to a former county employee who claimed he lost his job because his panic disorder prohibited him from face-to-face contact with his clients. The six men and six women on the jury deliberated five days after a five-week trial before finding in favor of 52-year-old George Alberigi, a Medi-Cal eligibility case worker with the county's Human Services Department, on Tuesday.

Alberigi started work with the county in 1980 and despite his fear of crowds and face-to-face contact with people, he was able to do his job because his contact with clients was by phone, his attorney Stephen Murphy said. Alberigi asked for a promotion in 2001 but was informed he would have to meet clients in person, Murphy said.

Alberigi was offered other positions at his current pay rate but he wanted to remain an eligibility case worker and the other positions also entailed some face-to-face contact, Murphy said. Alberigi then filed for disability in 2004, Murphy said. He filed the suit in 2003. "His job wasn't just a paycheck. It was his social life. His life basically has been living in his apartment all day," Murphy said.

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http://www.kfty.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=A5A7247D-BBA2-4111-9A82-A435D50D4B40

(Murphy said, Murphy said...who wrote this bad article anyway) This is stupid. If you can't do your job don't ask for a promotion. I sure would appeal this one.

[napi21]

1. It's decisions like this that give trial lawyers a bad name!

I'm sure it will be appealed, andm hopefully, a saner jury will prevail.

[Yollam]

3. I can see giving the guy a settlement, but $6 mil?

It's a bit excessive to say the least.

[BootinUp]

2. strange decision

I would be in favor of insuring he had what he needed and to get treatment for his disorder. Agoraphobia can be overcome I believe even though his case sounds severe.

[Nikia]

4. They might not be happy with the precedance this sets

There are millions of people in the United States suffering from anxiety disorders to varying degrees. Many of these people do not get the jobs they want or advance in their careers as much as they want because they have difficulty in the situations that they would face in these better jobs or they are judged as less able during the interview because they are showing anxiety symptoms. Employers often pay certain positions better than others. The employees and positions that receive higher pay are often jobs that require interaction with other people, often outside clients who may be new to the employee, and require the employee to act confidently and communicate effectively, which often includes body language. As a person who suffers from anxiety, I can understand the employers point of view although I feel that I have been denied employment for positions that my anxiety would not have matterered much.