An Ohio jury awarded $22.5 million to the estate of a newborn girl after finding her mother’s employer refused to let her work from home — a decision jurors concluded led to the baby’s death.
The case centered on Chelsea Walsh, a claims associate at Cincinnati-based Total Quality Logistics, who requested to work remotely during a high-risk pregnancy after undergoing a medical procedure — a request the company denied.
Walsh spent three days in the office against her doctor’s advice before going into labor on the evening of Feb. 24, 2021, the lawsuit alleges.
The company later reversed course after a third party intervened on her behalf — but only hours before she went into labor, according to court documents.
Nine days earlier, Walsh requested to work remotely but was told she had a choice: return to the office or take unpaid leave and lose her income and health insurance, the lawsuit alleges.
According to the complaint, TQL effectively placed her on unpaid leave without her requesting it by using the wrong paperwork.
The lawsuit alleges the company sent Walsh leave-of-absence paperwork instead of accommodation forms — then used her doctor’s response to classify her as unable to work at all.
Later that evening, Walsh — who was nearly 21 weeks pregnant — experienced complications and was admitted to the hospital, where she gave birth to her daughter, Magnolia.
Magnolia “had a heartbeat, was breathing, and exhibited fetal movement,” according to the lawsuit.
She was placed on her mother’s chest and died about 90 minutes later, the suit states.
Jurors found the company’s refusal to grant the work-from-home request led to Magnolia’s death, according to Walsh’s attorneys.
The jury awarded $25 million in damages and assigned 90% of the fault to TQL, resulting in a $22.5 million judgment against the company.
“The evidence showed that Chelsea Walsh was following her doctors’ instructions for a high-risk pregnancy and simply asked to work from home. The jury found that TQL’s denial of that reasonable request led to the death of her daughter,” Matthew C. Metzger of Wolterman Law Office, co-counsel for the Walsh family, said.
“This is a heartbreaking outcome for a young family,” Metzger said.
A TQL spokesperson told NBC News that the company disagreed with the verdict.
“We extend our condolences to the Walsh family. We disagree with the verdict and the way the facts were characterized at trial,” Julia Daugherty, the spokesperson, told NBC News.
“We are evaluating legal options and remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees.”
The Post has sought comment from TQL.
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