Louisiana Construction Firm, Feds Reach Settlement in Whistleblower Case

A Louisiana-based construction and hauling firm and the U.S. Department of Labor in late March reached a settlement in a whistleblower/retaliation case.

Labor officials had filed administrative orders against D.G. Construction and Hauling LLC and its owner, Brett Deshotels, in Lafayette, Louisiana, for violations of employee protection provisions of the Surface Transportation and Assistance Act, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana said in a media release.

The DOL had found the company and Deshotels liable for firing and employee truck driver in retaliation for reporting equipment defects and refusing to drive due to safety concerns. Federal officials awarded reinstatement, back pay and interest, $5,000 in compensatory damages, and $10,000 in punitive damages to the truck driver, as well as an order for $26,568.27 in attorney’s fees to his trial counsel.

Because the defendants failed to fully comply with the final orders to compensate the truck driver as ordered, an enforcement action was filed against them.

This settlement is the result of a coordinated effort by U.S. Department of Labor Trial Attorneys Felix Marquez and Mary Cobb, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Brown.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice