PLBH is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized on the 2025 California Top 50 Labor & Employment Verdicts list for its representation of a construction worker in a case involving disability discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The case, Villareal v. Pyramid Constr. & Aggregates Inc., went to a two-week jury trial in February 2025 and resulted in a verdict in favor of our client — a result that reflects the firm’s commitment to taking cases to trial when that is what justice requires.
How the Case Began
The lawsuit originated from a serious workplace incident in which our client was directed by his employer to clean a tack oil tank. During the job, he became trapped inside the tank for approximately two hours before coworkers were able to free him. He was transported to the emergency room for medical treatment — a frightening experience that would have been difficult for anyone to process.
What followed made a difficult situation significantly worse. A few days after the incident, our client was told to report to a clinic, leading him to believe he was receiving follow-up medical care related to the accident. Instead, he was subjected to a drug test — administered solely because he had been involved in a workplace accident. When he stepped outside the clinic to contact his supervisor for clarification about what was happening, the clinic disqualified him from the testing process. His employer then treated that disqualification as a refusal to test and terminated his employment.
Why This Conduct Violated California Law
The circumstances surrounding our client’s termination raised serious legal concerns on multiple fronts. Subjecting an employee to a drug test specifically because they were injured at work — rather than based on reasonable individualized suspicion — can constitute disability discrimination and retaliation for engaging in protected activity. Using a workplace injury as the trigger for adverse employment action is precisely the kind of conduct California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act is designed to prohibit.
The manner in which the termination was carried out compounded the violation. Our client did not refuse to test — he stepped away momentarily to seek clarification from his own supervisor about a situation he had not been prepared for. Treating that brief, reasonable action as grounds for termination, and then using it to justify ending his employment, reflected the kind of pretext that juries are well-equipped to see through.
The Road to a Jury Verdict
The lawsuit was filed in 2021, and the path to resolution was not short. Cases of this complexity often involve extensive discovery, pretrial motions, and years of litigation before a trial date is set. PLBH remained committed to the case throughout that process, and when the matter proceeded to a two-week jury trial in February 2025, the jury returned a verdict finding that our client had been discriminated against.
Recognition on California’s Top 50 Labor & Employment Verdicts list reflects not only the outcome of this case but the level of preparation, advocacy, and dedication to the client that produced it.
Standing Up for Employees Who Have Been Treated Unlawfully
This verdict is a reminder that employees who are injured at work and then targeted, set up to fail, or terminated under questionable circumstances have legal recourse — and that PLBH is willing to fight for them all the way through trial when necessary. If you have been discriminated against, retaliated against, or wrongfully terminated, call (800) 435-7542 to speak with an attorney about your situation.