Harshberger v. Hil-Rom

U.S.D.C., Northern District of Mississippi, Eastern Division

Cause No. 1:10-cv-00227-GHD-DAS

On July 12, 2012, a jury in United States District Court in Aberdeen, Mississippi, returned a verdict in favor of Marla Harshberger against Hill-Rom Company, Inc. The jury awarded Mrs. Harshberger $200,000.00 in actual damages and $500,000.00 in punitive damages. Mrs. Harshberger alleged that she was fired by Defendant Hill-Rom Company, Inc. for reporting a co-employee for stealing mattresses from one of the defendant’s customers and for forging customer signatures. Mrs. Harshberger had been employed by the defendant since 2004, and had won numerous awards during her time there. Attorneys for Plaintiff were Jim Waide and Rachel M. Pierce of Waide & Associates, P.A. in Tupelo, Mississippi. Attorneys for Defendant were Timothy W. Lindsay, Kristi H. Johnson, and Robin Banck Taylor of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. in Ridgeland, Mississippi.