Impressions of settling lawsuits

July 1, 2008
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Eli Lilly and Co. settled its racial discrimination lawsuit yesterday for $64,000, ending a claim by an employee who alleged the company fired her because she was disfigured through exposure to a blood pathogen.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Lilly retaliated against the African-American woman after she filed a discrimination charge. In offering the settlement, Lilly denied violating laws or regulations.

Companies increasingly settle charges of various kinds without admitting guilt.

When they do, how does it come across to you?

Do you think to yourself, the company must be guilty or they wouldnâ??t have paid out the money? That the company made a business decision to end the negative publicity and legal costs?

Something else?
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  • WonderingJuly 2, 2008 10:05 AM
    Not just the Equal Employment Opportunity laws out there, but the Genetic Discrimination laws could have benefited this Woman's case. It is cheaper both on the pocketbook and the negative publicity to settle than it is to fight cases where there is any shadow of a doubt of that there could be any genetic discrimination.

    We don't know the whole story of both sides to make the decision of Lilly's Guilty or the ex-employee is try to make a quick buck Unfortunately there are cases out there where the ex-employee is trying to make a quick buck because of race, gender, or another genetic related difference. The true question is How do you handle someone who could potentially sue you for Discrimination when he/she is repetitively refuse to follow the rules of the company?

    Some Big companies will just pay the ex-employee off to just get past the issue, like lilly has done.
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  • AndyJuly 3, 2008 2:56 PM
    One of the distinguishing features about settlements, as opposed to judgments, is that no one except the parties has any idea of what the facts and the evidence was, so any conclusions are invalid from the start. It has been said : A bad settlement is better than a good lawsuit. Let's leave it at that.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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