A St. Louis woman has won a $769,000 verdict against Washington University in a trial alleging the school refused to accommodate her disability and then fired her.

The plaintiff, age 55, worked as a researcher at the university's medical school from 1996 to 2012 and had herniated disks, according to her lawsuit. She claimed her back problems caused her extreme pain in certain positions "including but not limited to cell culture and bench work" and that the university and her supervisor discriminated against her by not accommodating her condition.

Her lawyer said the university in November 2012 fired her from her cancer research position, telling her the school had lost funding for her projects. Her lawsuit said her firing was in retaliation for her request that she not be required to sit and bend over for excessive periods of time.

After a five-day trial in St. Louis Circuit Court, the jury Friday awarded Lin $269,000 in actual damages and $500,000 in punitive damages.

It should be noted that St. Louis is seen by many as being one of the most plaintiff-friendly venues in the country so your mileage may vary. 

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