TQL Ordered to Pay $22.5 Million in Newborn’s Death After Denying Work-From-Home Request A Hamilton County jury ruled Thursday that Total Quality Logistics, LLC, must pay $22.5 million following a trial that found the company responsible for the death of a newborn girl after it denied her mother’s request to work from home during a high-risk pregnancy. The decision, announced by the family’s attorneys, centers on the circumstances surrounding Chelsea Walsh’s medical complications and the impact of her employer’s actions. According to evidence presented during the trial, Chelsea Walsh, a 27-year-old mother, underwent a pregnancy-related procedure in early February 2021 and was classified as high-risk. Her medical team advised her to limit physical activity, adhere to modified bed rest, and work remotely to ensure her health and the baby’s well-being. However, when Walsh requested to work from home, TQL rejected the request, instructing her to return to the office immediately after the procedure. She was also required to complete leave paperwork, a process she contested. On February 24, TQL allegedly approved her request to work remotely, but only after a third party, unrelated to the company, made the request. By that point, Walsh had already been hospitalized with complications and gave birth to her daughter, Magnolia, on the same day. The baby was born at 20 weeks and six days of gestation and died shortly after birth. The family’s attorneys argued that Walsh was following her doctors’ recommendations and that TQL’s refusal to accommodate her request contributed directly to the tragedy. Matthew C. Metzger of Wolterman Law Office, LPA, stated that the jury’s verdict underscored the importance of workplace flexibility during medical emergencies.#chelsea_walsh #magnolia #total_quality_logistics #wolterman_law_office #the_butler_trial_firm
