$94K+ Settlement Following Granting of Summary Judgment for Army Civilian Employee in EEOC/Disability Discrimination Case
July 2020
A Retired Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) who was working as a civilian employee for the Army pursued a claim of disability discrimination against the Army. Pat Hughes was hired at the onset of the case guiding the client through the informal complaint, and eventually, into the formal complaint process requesting an administrative judge and hearing when the Army refused to resolve the matter. After the Army fiercely litigated the matter, Pat was successful to get a pre-hearing ruling granting summary judgment in his client’s favor on liability for disability discrimination. Rather than proceeding to the hearing on damages, Pat then negotiated a $94K+ settlement to recover an award for damages and his client’s full attorney’s fees.
Practice area(s): Employment/EEOC Law
$45K Settlement with Maryland Attorney General’s Office for Employment Discrimination & Reprisal Against Towson University Employee in EEOC Matter
February 2021
Following her removal as an employee, a former servicemember who worked at Towson University brought a claim of discrimination and retaliation against the school. The allegations involved discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, and retaliation after making protected communications, which led to her improper firing. After pursuing the claim on her behalf through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Pat Hughes negotiated a settlement of $45K to resolve the matter.
Practice area(s): Employment/EEOC Law
$100K Settlement for Personal Injury of Former Service Member Injured in Line of Duty as Pentagon Police Officer
July 2018
Pat Hughes represented a former Soldier, then Pentagon police officer, to secure a $100K settlement with his insurance company following a vehicle accident while the officer was traveling from work. While driving his Pentagon police vehicle and stopped on a beltway off-ramp due to traffic conditions, an underinsured driver slammed into the officer’s car at nearly 55mph. The officer’s injuries to his back caused him to undergo regular physical therapy. Because the driver of the vehicle responsible for the accident was underinsured, Pat sought recovery through the officer’s own insurance, and secured a maximum insurance policy payout of $100K as a settlement after filing suit in Maryland state court.
Practice area(s): Personal Injury
$100k Personal Injury Award
January 2019
Military family struck by DUI driver. Spouse of the military member suffered no physical injuries, but experienced extreme anxiety following the collision. Defendant’s insurance company offered the spouse an unreasonably low offer to settle due to lack of medical bills and physical injuries. Mike Lyons got involved just weeks before the statute of limitations was to expire and immediately filed a lawsuit. Mike demanded the full $100,000 available under the insurance company’s policy and never backed down. After Mike gave an ultimatum that all settlement discussions would cease unless accepted by a set deadline, the insurance company backed down and agreed to payout its full policy limit of $100,000. Mike convinced the insurance company he could recovery much more from a jury despite the absence of medical bills and visible injuries.
Practice area(s): Personal Injury
Court: Circuit Court – Maryland
$110K+ Settlement with Department of Justice for Improper Denial of BAH
October 2021
A retired Air Force Master Sergeant (E-7) received a settlement of over $110K after filing a federal lawsuit in the Court of Federal Claims when the US Air Force and DFAS improperly subjected him to a recoupment and denied him his Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) entitlement while he was serving on active duty in an unaccompanied tour in Korea. Pat Hughes filed suit on the service member’s behalf, and after the Department of Justice (DOJ) sought to have the case remanded for additional review by the USAF/DFAS, which continued to refuse returning the monies, Pat took the case back to federal court. Pat was then able to successfully convince DOJ to agree to a settlement for the full amount of BAH improperly withheld.
Practice area(s): Military Pay
$110K Settlement Reached Mid-Trial for Plaintiff Against Two Defendants in a Virginia Construction Litigation Jury Trial
January 2022
Pat Hughes represented a homeowner who contracted to have a new sunroom added to his residence. The Plaintiff’s construction nightmare led to the need for a complete tear down/rebuild due to faulty construction, amounting to approximately $75K in damages (exclusive of attorney’s fees). It was also discovered that the contractor was unlicensed and that he had made a secret deal to have another Virginia contractor pull permits to disguise the unlawful activity. After Pat rested the Plaintiff’s case on claims involving, e.g., breach of contract, negligence, fraud, civil conspiracy and violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, the Defendants agreed to settle for $110K between the two owners and their companies rather than attempting a defense to allow the Fairfax County Circuit Court jury to decide the trial’s fate.
Practice area(s): Civil Litigation, Construction / Development
BAH Lawsuit-Spread The Word
Posted by Patrick J. Hughes | Aug 31, 2021
On Friday, August 27th , the Army Board for Corrections of Military Records (ABCMR) ruled in favor of the Army Reservists who were subjected to wrongful denial of housing allowance, discipline, and opportunities for promotion over the misinterpretation of BAH regulations.
This is an exceptional outcome for the named Plaintiffs. However, the actions of the Army extended far beyond these seven, possibly into the thousands of Army Reservists honorably serving overseas. With the ABCMR determination Patriots Law Group is now permitted to fight for any solider subjected to similar denial of housing entitlements and related discipline through a class action lawsuit. It is our goal to get this news out across the country and into military communities, so all servicemembers who were harmed can be made whole.
WE NEED YOUR HELP–we are using our social media, traditional media and any means we have to spread the word. Yet having served in the military ourselves, we know this incredible community is capable of great things, especially for their fellow soldier and their families. If you can, please spread the word within your community.
Check out our website for more detailed blogs, published news articles and contact information.