Case: EEOC v. DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION
2:01-cv-72130 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Filed Date: June 6, 2001
Closed Date: Nov. 22, 2004
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Case Summary
In June 2001, the EEOC's Detroit office filed this suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Daimler Chrysler Corporation alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, the EEOC alleged that the defendant declined to hire an applicant for a mechanic position because of the results of a pre-employment medical exam. The applicant had documentation of knee-replacement surgery in his medical record, which the employer had access to. As it turns out, however, the applicant had trouble understanding the spoken English of the examiner and when asked whether he could bend, stoop or crouch he indicated that he could not. The failure to communicate caused the applicant to be rejected and precipitated this ADA claim based on the "regarded as" disabled standard ñ that is, that the applicant was rejected based on his medical records and not based on his actual physical limitations.
The defendant moved for summary judgment in March 2002 and was granted it May 2002. On appeal, the judgment was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals because the EEOC failed to prove that the defendant rescinded its offer of employment based on a "record of" disability. Essentially, in spite of the communications mix up between medical examiner and applicant, the defendant was acting in good faith when it rescinded the offer of employment rather than unlawfully discriminating based on the applicants actual record of disability.
Summary Authors
Jason Chester (8/23/2007)
People
Bell, Robert Holmes (Michigan)
Martin, Boyce Ficklen Jr. (Kentucky)
Rogers, John M. (District of Columbia)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Resources
Docket
Last updated March 27, 2025, 8:17 a.m.
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 6, 2001
Closing Date: Nov. 22, 2004
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of one or more workers.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Private Entity/Person
Daimler Chrysler Corporation
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111 et seq.
Other Dockets:
Eastern District of Michigan 2:01-cv-72130
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit 02-02361
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Discrimination Area:
Discrimination Basis:
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
EEOC-centric:
Case Summary of EEOC v. DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/9340/ (last updated 8/23/2007).