-
Federal Magistrate Recommends Partial Summary Judgment in FMLA and Disability Case Against Douglas County
A federal magistrate judge in the Northern District of Georgia has recommended granting in part and denying in part Douglas County’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by former Deputy Fire Chief Eric Phillips. Chief Phillips was fired in 2023 after he failed to obtain Georgia state certification as required by state law.
Read More » -
Florida Driver Sues Orange County Fire Rescue in Effort to Identify Hit-and-Run Motorist
A Florida man injured in a July 5, 2025 motor vehicle accident has filed suit against Orange County Fire Rescue seeking to compel the release of information that may identify the other driver involved. The lawsuit, filed today in Orange County Court, is styled as a “Pure Bill of Discovery.”
Read More » -
L.A. County Fire Captain Charged With Insurance Fraud Over Alleged Fake Work Injury
A Los Angeles County Fire Department captain has been charged with insurance fraud after prosecutors alleged he faked a work-related injury and submitted forged paperwork to obtain more than $25,000 in long-term disability payments. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on August 8, 2025.
Read More » -
Orlando Fire Department Sued Over Alleged Failure to Treat Teen with Respiratory Distress
A wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed against the City of Orlando Fire Department following the December 2023 death of a 16-year-old boy with autism, Down syndrome, and end-stage renal disease. The lawsuit alleges that paramedics dispatched to the scene failed to assess, treat, or transport the teen despite being informed of his life-threatening condition.
Read More » -
Fire Law Roundup for August 4, 2025
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 4, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss the dismissal of the due process claim brought by a disabled former FDNY firefighter who alleged that New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate violated his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment; a false arrest and malicious prosecution lawsuit brought by a NJ fire captain against the Borough of Belmar; a lawsuit brought by a WA deputy chief alleging sex and sexual orientation discrimination; a determination that a settlement offer between a Charlotte, NC firefighter and the city in a race discrimination suit had not been finalized,…
Read More » -
Federal Court Grants Summary Judgment to City in FDNY Vaccine Mandate Suit
A federal judge has dismissed the primary constitutional claim brought by a disabled former FDNY firefighter who alleged that New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate violated his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The case was brought by former firefighter Obrian Pastrana, who contended that the City’s refusal to grant him a medical exemption after a severe reaction to the first vaccine dose violated his substantive due process rights.
Read More » -
Federal Court Allows New Jersey False Arrest Case to Proceed
A complex false arrest and malicious prosecution lawsuit involving the Borough of Belmar, NJ, and its emergency services took a key step forward this week. In Hines v. Borough of Belmar, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey issued a 71-page opinion granting in part and denying in part the Borough’s motion for summary judgment.
Read More » -
Deputy Chief Files Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit Against Eastside Fire and Rescue
A former Washington fire chief whose department was consolidated into Eastside Fire and Rescue has filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court alleging sex and sexual orientation discrimination, along with retaliation and wrongful termination.
Read More » -
Federal Court Denies Motion to Enforce Settlement in Charlotte Fire Department Discrimination Case
A long-running employment discrimination case involving the Charlotte Fire Department is heading back to trial after a federal judge ruled that an enforceable settlement was never reached between the City of Charlotte and Captain Lance Patterson, a 20-year veteran of the department.
Read More »