A whistleblower persuaded a jury that he was fired in retaliation for reporting unsafe health conditions and wage and hour violations and was awarded $514,000. Allen Jaffee, a respiratory therapist, claimed that he was fired for (1) reporting concerns of patient safety and cross-contamination issues and administration of medication; (2) reporting that the hospital was not providing gloves to wear when transporting patients; and, (3) wage and hour violations, specifically that he was not getting any meal break and the hospital was deducting 30 minutes from his pay each shift any way. Jaffee worked for Corona Regional Medical Center in California.
Source: Press-Enterprise
This case arose in California but Kentucky law does provide some protection to Kentucky health care workers that report incidents or practices that jeopardize or endanger patient safety. This doesn't mean blanket, complete protection for any and all reports to anybody at all, so consulting with a lawyer that knows this area of the law is advised.
Lexington, Kentucky whistleblower lawyer Robert Abell represents health care workers in whistleblower and other cases; contact him at 859-254-7076.
