The award is believed to be the largest in Indiana under the Americans with Disabilities Act for a person with diabetes.
An Indiana woman with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has settled for $725,000 with the township that fired her from her job as a fire department paramedic. Published reports are describing the award as the largest in her state under the Americans with Disabilities Act for someone with diabetes.
Kristine Rednour, diagnosed with T1D at age 12, was fired by Wayne Township in 2011 after 2 medical events caused her blood sugar levels to drop while on the job; she drank orange juice and Pepsi to restore them. She had been working for the fire department since 2009, and the township knew she had T1D when she was hired.
She was put on paid leave after the second incident and told she could not return to work until a medical examiner figured out how to accommodate her illness. That never happened. Instead, 2 weeks later, she was fired after it was determined she never should have been hired in the first place.
When Rednour sued, the defense argued she failed to prove a violation of the ADA because she had never requested any accommodation. Rednour said she didn’t need one. Today, many type 1 diabetics wear a continuous glucose monitor that would easily alert those around them if their blood sugar levels drop, a point noted by her attorneys.
In July, a jury awarded Rednour $123,500 for lost wages and benefits and $100,000 for emotional distress. She was given the option to return or be paid a sum as compensation for lost future earnings, and the settlement is based on the latter option. Today, she works as an emergency room paramedic at a local hospital.
"Hoosier jurors believe that individuals with disabilities, and individuals particularly with diabetes, should be permitted an even playing field to perform their job," said Kevin Betz, one of her attorneys. "Not an advantage by any means—just a level playing field."
Beyond Insulin: The Impact of Next-Generation Diabetes Technology
April 17th 2024Experts explain how new diabetes technologies like continuous glucose monitors are transforming care beyond intensive insulin therapy, offering personalized insights and improving outcomes for patients of all treatment levels.
Read More
How Can Employers Leverage the DPP to Improve Diabetes Rates?
February 15th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Jill Hutt, vice president of member services at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, explains the Coalition’s efforts to reduce diabetes rates through the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).
Listen
Balancing Care Access and Fragmentation for Better Outcomes in Veterans With Diabetes
April 22nd 2021The authors of a study in the April 2021 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® discuss the possible reasons behind the link between care fragmentation and hospitalizations in veterans with diabetes, as well as potential opportunities to address disjointed care in the context of the widespread telehealth uptake seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen