Judge Says Company Must Pay $22.5M After Pregnant Employee’s Child Dies
The doctor ordered modified bed rest, work at home
An Ohio judge has ordered a company to pay $22.5 million after an employee with pregnancy complications was not allowed to work from home – despite doctors’ orders – and gave birth to a baby who died prematurely.
A five-woman, three-man Cincinnati Hamilton County jury found Total Quality Logistics negligent in the 2021 death of Magnolia Walsh. She was delivered after 20 weeks and died after a few hours of life.
The jury’s verdict was announced March 18 after a seven-day trial before Common Pleas Judge Chris Wagner.
Magnolia’s mother, Chelsea Walsh, had trouble conceiving which led her doctor to perform an emergency procedure aimed at preserving the pregnancy.
Walsh’s doctor ordered her to rest in bed, work from home and reduce her workload, to prevent pregnancy.
Four days after the procedure, which took place on Feb. 11, 2021, Walsh went to the TQL offices and asked to work from home, so he could follow his doctor’s orders.
But Walsh’s request to work remotely was not accepted. Instead, he had to return to the office and, at one point, was given unpaid leave against his wishes.
During closing arguments, one of his attorneys, Brian Butler, said two doctors had sent letters on Walsh’s behalf. The second doctor said that working at home was necessary “to prevent other problems with her high-risk pregnancy, due to the increased workload at work.”
Despite that, TQL rejected Walsh’s request to work from home.
‘This Was a Tragic Problem for a Young Family’
Walsh’s husband, Jacob, then spoke to an executive in his employer’s human resources office about TQL’s decision. That person contacted TQL’s vice president, according to the lawsuit, saying TQL made a big mistake by rejecting Walsh’s request.
On the morning of February 24, 2021, TQL notified Walsh that it would allow him to work from home, only at the request of a third party. But it was too late, his lawyers said. Later that day, she developed complications and was admitted to a local hospital, where she gave birth to Magnolia.
“This was a tragic case for a young family,” attorney Matthew Metzger, who represents the Walsh family, said in a statement. “The evidence shows that Chelsea Walsh was following her doctors’ orders for a high-risk pregnancy and simply asked to work from home. The jury found that TQL’s denial of that reasonable request led to her daughter’s death.”
TQL spokeswoman Julia Daugherty said in a statement: “We offer our condolences to the Walsh family. We disagree with the verdict and the way the facts of the case unfolded. We are exploring legal options and are committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees.”
What is Total Asset Quality?
TQL, based in Union Township outside of Cincinnati, is one of the nation’s largest brokerage firms. It arranges the shipment of goods to food producers, manufacturers and other customers. In addition, TQL Stadium, the home stadium of MLS side FC Cincinnati, is named after this company.
It is the largest private company in Greater Cincinnati with 9,000 employees and more than $6 billion in revenue, according to the 2025 Deloitte Cincinnati 100 list of the area’s top private companies.
This article first appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Judge says company must pay $22.5M after pregnant employee’s baby dies.
Reported by Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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