By Malathi Nayak | Bloomberg
A former Tesla Inc. contractor has refused to simply accept $15 million in damages over racist abuse he was subjected to on the electrical car maker’s northern California manufacturing unit after a choose drastically slashed a $137 million jury verdict.
Owen Diaz on Tuesday advised US District Decide William Orrick that he received’t comply with the the 89% minimize. As an alternative, Diaz plans to hunt a brand new trial, his lawyer Larry Organ mentioned.
“In rejecting the courtroom’s extreme discount by asking for a brand new trial, Mr. Diaz is once more asking a jury of his friends to guage what Tesla did to him and to supply simply compensation for the torrent of racist slurs that was directed at him,” Organ mentioned in an emailed assertion. “Mr. Diaz seeks to revive a good and simply punitive damages award that may punish and deter Tesla for the racist conduct to which Mr. Diaz was subjected and to stop future harassment from occurring.”
In October, Diaz received what’s believed to be one of many largest verdicts in US historical past for a person plaintiff in a racial discrimination case, following a seven-day trial in San Francisco.
Orrick had denied Tesla’s request for a brand new trial, primarily based on the situation that Diaz settle for the lowered award.
Tesla didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Orrick dominated June 7 that Diaz can’t attraction his April resolution to chop the huge jury award. The previous elevator operator didn’t pinpoint “questions of regulation” that will warrant a evaluation, Orrick mentioned in his ruling.
The case is Diaz v. Tesla Inc., 17-cv-06748, US District Court docket, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
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