LOS ANGELES, CA, August 19, 2019 — A Los Angeles, California jury awarded $15.45 million to T.J. Simers in a lawsuit he filed against his previous employer, The LA Times, for violating his civil rights and wrongfully discriminating against him based upon his age and disability.
Simers previously won a $7.1 million verdict against the LA Times in 2015, however the LA Times convinced the court to set the verdict aside based on technicalities.
In March 2013, after 23 years of loyal service to the LA Times, TJ Simers suffered what was thought to be a mini-stroke, and he subsequently was discriminated against due to his disability and his age. His employer of 23 years kicked him when he was down. In November 2015, a California jury awarded Mr. Simers a $7.1 million verdict against The LA Times, however The LA Times filed new trial motions to set aside the verdict and won, resulting in a new trial on damages.
In August 2019, trial lawyers Nick Rowley, Courtney Rowley, and Astineh Arakelian re-tried the case against The LA Times, and this time the jury returned a verdict of $15.45 million in non-economic damages.
“The Los Angeles Times and it’s defense attorneys wanted a new trial because they did not like the last verdict of $7.1 million four years ago,” said trial lawyer Nick Rowley,
who was one of the lead trial lawyers on the case. “As my granddaddy always said, ‘be careful what you wish for’, as now with prejudgment interest and attorney’s fees, The LA Times will owe over $22 million.”
“My wife Courtney and I are incredibly proud of the jury but most importantly of T.J. Simers, his wife, and his family for never giving up on their belief in civil justice and the value of civil rights,” added Rowley. We tried the case together with Astineh Arakelian and our dear friends at the Shegerian Law Firm and are really thankful to have been brought into the case for trial.