Date: 11-06-2009

Case Style: Marija Stone v. GEICO General Insurance Company, et al.

Case Number: 8:05-cv-00636-JSM-TBM

Judge: James M. Moody, Jr.

Court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Orange County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Peter Helwig and Kathryn Piscitelli, Harris & Helwig, P.A., Lakeland, Florida

Defendant's Attorney: Heather Nicole Jarrell and Shane Munoz, Greenberg Traurig, L.L.P., Tampa, Florida

Description: Marija Stone sued her former employer GEICO General Insurance Company on a wrongful termination theory claiming that she was terminated for refusing orders to dismiss an older worker because of that workers age. She claimed that she was retaliated against by GEICO refusing to fire the older worker.

Plaintiff was a GEICO supervisor of a unit of adjusters working automobile liability claims in GEICO's Lakeland, Florida office. She ignored orders to fire a 57-year-old woman who allegedly was not producing at the level of younger workers in the unit.

The defenses asserted by GEICO are not available.

Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $800,000 reduced in response to post-trial motions to $265,000.00.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: Editor's Note: Judge Moody reportedly decided that punitive damages were not appropriately awarded. He also reduced the $200,000 in emotional damages awarded to plaintiff to $50,000 but added $100,000 for GEICO's willful violation of federal discrimination laws and another $15,000 in interest on back wages.