PETALING JAYA, April 18 — After getting fired over a birthday party at the office, a man in Kentucky has been awarded US$450,000 in damages.
Quoting court documents, WLKY reported the plaintiff had informed his office manager to not hold a celebration for his birthday in August last year, as birthday parties triggered his anxiety disorder.Upon learning about the party, the plaintiff had a panic attack, causing him to “leave the office suddenly and spend his lunch break in his car.”
After being sent home for the next two days, the plaintiff was informed that he was being fired for “the events of the previous week”. “The way he described it is he started hugging himself and asked them to please stop,” said Bucher, describing his client’s coping techniques during his second panic attack.As per the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of a panic attack can include a rapid, pounding heart rate, chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath and nausea.