As published in Trial magazine, Trial Team Leader Anthony Label obtained a $1.3 million jury verdict in Wright v. State of California on behalf of a correctional officer who was injured on his way to work. The trial court had initially granted summary judgment, but the case was revived on appeal in a published decision that clarifies prior uncertainty in the area of workers’ compensation exclusivity for workers who lease property from their employers.
By referencing a law established in the 1920s, Label proved that Wright was entitled to compensation for the harm he suffered while on his employer’s property – challenging the summary judgment for the state. Wright was vindicated after waiting six years for justice thanks to Label’s tireless efforts and refusal to give up. This case sets a precedent for California employees to hold their employers civilly responsible if they fail to provide workers living in employer-owned housing with safe housing.