This post is aimed at our loyal readers from the legal community. Please post your insight in the Comments section.
Two lawsuits in the news this week. First, a radio DJ was awarded $10.6 million from her former employer in a confusing wrongful termination suit. Then, a former Oakland Raiders tight end settled a dispute with the teammate whose sucker punch ended Williams' career, for $415,000.
From where do these numbers come? Can anyone rationalize this?
Below are details from both cases. I usually think these multi-million dollar lawsuits are crazy, because there's no way Erin Weber was earning $10.6 million in five lifetimes. But Marcus Williams could have made a few million dollars had he just played a few seasons.
First, Ms. Weber:
Erin Weber, who was on the air at WYCD-FM (99.5), contends in her suit that she was fired in 2001 after she complained about being exposed to Tresor perfume. She said she was sickened by the fumes, a condition that began when a co-worker exposed her to spilled nail-polish remover in the country music station's Southfield studio.The verdict awarded her $7 million in punitive damages, $2 million in mental anguish and emotional distress and $1.6 million for past and future compensation after a six-woman jury in U.S. District Court in Detroit spent eight days deliberating.
Weber claimed exposure to Tresor caused her to lose her voice and take lengthy absences from work. She also said she once "felt an electric shock quell through my entire body" and required heavy medication to combat the effects.
And now Mr. Williams:
Williams sued his former teammate after getting hit in the face by Romanowski during a practice drill in 2003. The pair announced Friday that Romanowski is agreeing to pay $415,000 to resolve the litigation.Williams' career ended after his eye socket was broken by Romanowski, who ripped off Williams' helmet during a practice drill and hit him in the face.
Romanowski retired that year, and a jury in March ordered him to pay Williams $340,000 in damages.
Williams was not happy with the jury's verdict, and was seeking a new trial until the two sides agreed to end the dispute.
Williams, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2002, played in 13 games as a rookie during Oakland's Super Bowl season. He was used primarily on special teams but was trying to earn a regular position during his sophomore season before he was injured.
The Raiders have claimed they are not responsible for any damages, and fined Romanowski $60,000. Romanowski was not charged with a crime.
I'd rather be fired than sucker-punched, too. I had no idea how lucrative it could be.
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