An Ohio company was ordered to pay $22.5 million to a woman whose baby died after her company denied her request to work from home during a high-risk pregnancy.
Per NBC News, Chelsea Walsh requested to work from home beginning on February 15, 2021, for her job with Total Quality Logistics, but was denied. Walsh had just undergone an operation on her cervix when she made the request and was recommended to be put on bed rest due to the high risk nature of her pregnancy.
A press release from Walsh’s attorney said her doctors “instructed her to limit activity, remain on modified bed rest, and work from home.”
“TQL presented Walsh with an impossible choice — work at the office and put additional strain on her child, or take an unpaid leave of absence and lose the income and health insurance she needed,” the lawsuit said.
Her husband Joel Walsh then had a conversation with the company’s human resources manager, who is friends with an executive at TQL, the lawsuit says. The unnamed executive allegedly said, “Thank you … you just saved us a lawsuit.”
This led to Walsh’s request being granted on February 24, which is the same day she went into premature labor and gave birth to a daughter, named Magnolia. The baby was born at 20 weeks and four days.
“Magnolia had a heartbeat, was breathing, and exhibited fetal movement,” the lawsuit says, per NBC. “Magnolia was placed on Walsh’s chest so that Walsh could hold her. Magnolia died in Walsh’s arms approximately one hour and thirty minutes later.”
The jury ruled in Walsh’s favor and ordered the company to pay $22.5 million in damages for what they determined to be a wrongful death.
“This is a heartbreaking outcome for a young family,” one of Walsh’s lawyers said in a statement. “The evidence showed that Chelsea Walsh was following her doctors’ instructions for a high-risk pregnancy and simply asked to work from home.”
“The jury found that TQL’s denial of that reasonable request led to the death of her daughter,” he said.
Julia Daugherty, a rep for TQL, said the company disagreed with the verdict, arguing that “the way the facts were characterized at trial” were not accurate. “We are evaluating legal options and remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees,” the rep said.
