Woman accuses Red Cross of wrongful termination
By KYLA ASBURY
HUNTINGTON – A woman is suing the American Red Cross after she claims her employment was wrongfully terminated
Joey Anderson, a human resources supervisor, was also named as a defendant in the suit.
On Sept. 22, 2004, Valerie Anderson was initially hired as a phlebotomist and also worked as a Collection Technician II, according to a complaint filed in Cabell Circuit Court
Valerie Anderson claims on April 23, 2013, she was placing materials on a cart when her foot got tangled with the cart and she fell, landing on a concrete floor and severely injuring herself.
When Valerie Anderson filled out an incident report form, she stated that she hurt her neck, shoulder, legs, arms, right hand, pelvic area, lower and upper back and face, according to the suit.
Valerie Anderson claims as a result of the fall, she was forced to miss work and a workers' compensation claim form was generated by her physician and completed by her employer.
On July 19, 2013, Valerie Anderson was on a telephone conference call with Joey Anderson and Jennifer Mace and during the call, Joey Anderson advised her that he was attempting to get her workers' compensation benefits, according to the suit.
Mace, who worked for Sedgwick, told Joey Anderson that Sedgwick denied her claim Mace adviced her that if the MRI showed that there was a tear, that Sedgwick would pay for it and accept the claim, but it refused to rule that her workers' compensation claim was compensable even after the MRI revealed a rotator cuff tear in the right shoulder.
Valerie Anderson claims she was forced to request time off work and the defendants regarded her as disabled and discriminated against her because of her disability.
On July 25, 2013, the defendants terminated Valerie Anderson's employment, according to the suit.
Valerie Anderson is seeking compensatory damages. She is being represented by Dwight J. Staples of Henderson, Henderson & Staples LC.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge F. Jane Hustead.
Cabell Circuit Court case number: 15-C-301