ADA Ruling Limits Employer Liability
Tuesday, February 26th, 2002 LiabilityCommercial insurance buyers are hailing a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that establishes a high threshold for a sick or injured employee to demonstrate a "disability" under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In order to meet the ADA’s standard that a condition must substantially limit the performance of major life activities, an employee must demonstrate that he or she has an impairment that prevents or severely restricts them from doing activities that are of central importance to most people’s daily lives, the Supreme Court said in a unanimous decision. In addition, the impairment’s impact must be permanent or long-term. "It is insufficient for individuals attempting to prove disability status under this test to merely submit evidence of a medical diagnosis of an impairment," the court said.
