Landmark $36 million judgment awarded to deaf driver against Omaha trucking company

A federal jury has awarded a deaf man, Victor Robinson, a $36 million judgment in a discrimination case against Omaha-based trucking company Werner Enterprises. Robinson, who had obtained a "hearing exemption" from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and graduated from a Werner-owned truck driving school, was denied a job by the company due to his deafness. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit on Robinson's behalf, alleging that Werner failed to accommodate his disability and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The jury awarded $75,000 in actual damages and $36 million in punitive damages, although the EEOC cap is $300,000. Werner is considering an appeal.