Meriola Gotthardt v. National Railroad Passenger Corp. (AMTRAK)

Outcome: Jury Verdict/Equitable Relief of $1,025,000

Description: Jury Verdict/Equitable Relief Award In the Amount of $1,025,000. In Meriola Gotthardt v. National Railroad Passenger Corp. (AMTRAK) 191 F.3d 1148 (9th Cir. 1999), Felicia and her co-counsel obtained a combined jury verdict/equitable relief award after jury trial for the female locomotive engineer in the amount of $1,025,000. The court also ordered AMTRAK to pay an additional award for the engineer’s attorney fees. The Gotthardt case was the first appellate decision in this Circuit holding that the damage cap of 42 U.S.C. Section 1981a(b)(3) does not apply to an employee’s claims for lost future wages ("front pay") under the federal anti-discrimination law, Title VII. This issue was later resolved on a nationwide basis in 2001, by the U.S. Supreme Court, in Pollard v. E.I. du Pont (2001) 532 U.S. 843, once again in the plaintiff’s favor.