A nurse was restricted from lifting over 40 pounds after a diskectomy. The Eight Circuit holds that the general lifting restriction without more is insufficient to constitute a disability protected by the ADA.
A sales manager was put on a 3-month disability leave because of extreme work stress which caused chest pain and hypertension. After the leave he was transferred to another position at a lower salary. His disability discrimination case failed because he was not significantly restricted from working in a broad class of jobs.
A service worker had back injuries which “affected his life and the lives of his family members.” However, he did not have an ADA-protected disability because he was able to perform all major life activities. “While he continued to experience some pain and discomfort while performing some tasks and was not able to perform some activities to the extent that he would have liked, he never testified that he was unable to perform any major life activities.”
In order to prove unlawful discrimination under Title VII, there must be an adverse employment action. Asking a 410 pound police officer to undergo a fitness-for duty examination was not an adverse employment action.
A budget analyst developed an itch from poor air quality at work which prevented him from sleeping. Because the disability was caused by the workplace it was not permanent enough to be protected by the ADA.
A newspaper reporter who could not type or write for extended periods because of a repetitive stress disorder did not have a protected disability because she was not limited in a major life activity. The Court found the major life activity of performing manual tasks included a broad range of activities that she could perform such as shopping, driving, and dressing.
A warehouse worker failed a vision test because he was blind in one eye. He lost his ADA suit because his employer did not think that he was “substantially limited” in his “ability to see” and because the test was reasonable.
A 350 pound man was the most qualified candidate. Nonetheless, he was not hired by L.A. Weight Loss Centers Inc. because the company is “image conscious.” The Court found that the applicant was not protected by the ADA because he was not regarded as unable to perform a wide range of tasks.
An employee requested an accommodation but he failed to submit requested medical evidence and refused to take a test to determine his qualifications. By failing to participate in the process to find an accommodation, the employee lost his ADA rights.
A concrete truck drive suffered nerve damage that impacted his ability to walk, work, etc. The Eighth Circuit found that his only major life activity impacted by his disability was procreation. As an accommodation, the driver requested a non-ready-mix truck job. Since this accommodation had nothing to do with procreation, he was not entitled to the accommodation under the ADA.