Whistleblower who raised safety concerns sues owner who yelled at him
In a recent California case, the jury awarded an employee who was allegedly terminated with malice $7,068,717 in damages, including $6 million in punitive damages, $368,717 in economic damages, and $700,000 in non-economic damages.
Alki David Productions, Inc. (ADP), an entertainment and media company focused on hologram technology, employed the plaintiff from 2013 to 2017. In September 2017, he started working at a property on Hollywood Boulevard that ADP was converting from a church to a theater. He was responsible for installing the equipment for creating the hologram.
Four inspectors of Los Angeles City arrived at the worksite. They pointed out municipal code deficiencies and refused to approve the work performed. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued a correction notice identifying violations of municipal code provisions.
The next day, the plaintiff told ADP’s senior vice president of operations about his concerns, which he intended to relay to the fire inspector. Specifically, the plaintiff was concerned about the plumbing and electrical work for the equipment that he had to install, about the integrity of the ceiling and floor, and about the possibility that equipment could fall on theater attendees.
The plaintiff reached out to the fire inspector. He ended the first call because he was nervous about “ratting out” his boss and his coworkers. He then called a second time and...
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