Miller v. Ill. Dept. of Transp., No. 09-3143 (7th Cir. 2011)
Annotate this CasePlaintiff, assigned to a bridge crew in 2002, informed his supervisor of his fear of heights. He performed most job functions and the crew accommodated him by swapping assignments. In 2006 he was required to work in a lift bucket, unsecured by a safety line. Days later, required to lean over a bridge beam, he suffered a panic attack and was transported by ambulance; it was the only time the plaintiff was unable to complete an assignment. He was placed on non-occupational disability leave. A doctor described him as unable to work in an exposed, extreme position above 20-25 feet. The department denied an accommodation that was supported by psychiatric reports. The plaintiff stated that he would like to knock his supervisor's teeth out; the department discharged him, but, after arbitration, returned him to work. The district court dismissed claims under the Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12112. The Seventh Circuit reversed and remanded. The plaintiff offered sufficient evidence from which a reasonable jury could conclude that the department regarded him as precluded from a substantial class of jobs; that the tasks he was unable to perform were not essential to the job and that the requested accommodation was reasonable in light of the crew history of job swapping; and that the reason for discharge was pretextual.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.