Los Angeles Jury Awards $8.5M to Fired Refinery Worker

A Los Angeles jury has awarded $8.5 million to a woman who was fired from a Wilmington refinery after being injured on the job.

City News Service says the jury ruled Thursday in favor of Michele Daniel.

Daniel began working at the Tesoro refinery in 1989 and was a shift supervisor when she hurt her knee in 2005.

She was placed on extended leave and later fired.

Her lawsuit claims the company should have given her back her original job or another that would accommodate her disability.

Tesoro’s lawyers said she was fired in 2009 when her condition didn’t improve and she either couldn’t perform or was unqualified for the jobs she sought.