$8mn for discrimination against blind man

A jury in the US has returned an $8mn verdict in a federal court for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a lawsuit alleging that EchoStar Communications Corp. (EchoStar) violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) when it refused to provide a reasonable accommodation to a qualified blind employee. The jury verdict awards $2,000 in back pay, $5,000 in compensatory damages, and $8mn in punitive damages.