Wrongfully terminated truck driver now has a six figure settlement and his job back
Truck driving can be one of the most exciting professions for people who like to get around. However, recent trucking news has shown that it’s not all sunshine and roses. Last year, one trucker was terminated for raising concerns about drivers becoming fatigued. Now, he has the last laugh as he has a six-figure settlement as well as his job back.
This man has his truck driving job back and a hefty settlement
Recent trucking news shows that the field of truck driving can be highly political. This is demonstrated here by the trucker who was wrongfully fired. According to CDL Life, the driver worked for W-L Construction & Paving Inc. until September 2023. Things went wrong for the driver in July of that year when he went to his bosses and informed them that the work they were expecting from drivers went against federal safety requirements.
In particular, people who work in truck driving are supposed to have a certain number of breaks, and their hours on the clock should also be limited. However, the company didn’t listen and eventually fired him. They said it was due to the driver having too many “attendance infractions.” Notably, 10 is the magic number before a worker receives some form of discipline.
Naturally, OSHA investigated and found that three of the ten infractions had protection from the Surface Transportation Assistance Act. This means the company’s termination of the driver was illegal. According to OSHA, “W-L Construction & Paving Inc. illegally retaliated against an employee who raised legitimate concerns about their ability to meet the company’s demands without jeopardizing their safety or that of others.”
The Surface Transportation Assistance Act provides a degree of job security to people in truck driving. Specifically, the act makes it so that trucking companies can’t fire drivers who refuse to go against federal safety standards.
Now, the trucker will receive $58,318.25 in lost wages and interest, $115,694 for compensatory damages, and $10,000 for punitive damages and legal fees.
For more reading, check out this recent story of a trucker who lost his job over a hairstyle.
