Situation
A senior care facility was sued for allegedly failing to accommodate a patient’s deafness by providing a sign language interpreter. Husch Blackwell litigators won dismissal of four of the claims on a successful motion for summary judgment. Next, they formulated a winning trial strategy for the six claims that remained.
Result
Our team argued that because the plaintiff was able to effectively communicate with staff through written notes, lip reading, speaking and gesturing, the care facility reasonably accommodated her deafness in the absence of an interpreter. After a five-day trial, the federal jury returned a unanimous defense verdict on all six claims.
Attorney Team Members: Gregory J. Minana, Kaytlin E. Kopen, Kate M. Heideman Leveque and Andrew J. Weissler
Paralegal Team Members: Kelly J. Hattle and Lisa M. Hackett