Texas Hospital Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Suit for $40K

San Antonio, Texas-based Nix Hospitals System LLC, doing business as Nix Healthcare System, has agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a federal pregnancy discrimination lawsuit.

The lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that Nix Hospital violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA), by refusing to accommodate the employee’s pregnancy-related medical restrictions, resulting in her termination.

According to the EEOC, the employee applied for two open desk positions which would have allowed her to work even with her medical restrictions, but Nix Hospital denied her such light-duty positions. Meanwhile, non-pregnant employees injured on the job with medical restrictions were granted light duty.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), which is incorporated into Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, makes discrimination based on pregnancy a form of sex discrimination. Under the PDA, employers are prohibited from engaging in discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, including when employers refuse to accommodate a worker’s pregnancy-related medical conditions but do accommodate other workers similar in their ability or inability to work.

The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division (EEOC v. Nix Hospitals System, LLC d/b/a Nix Healthcare System, Civil Action Number 5:18-cv-01004) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to monetary recovery by the employee, the decree resolving this case and approved by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez requires the hospital to post a notice of intent to comply with Title VII and to provide training to employees of their rights under federal law. The consent decree also requires the hospital to revise its policy to ensure that it prohibits pregnancy discrimination including the accommodation of pregnancy-related conditions.

Nix Healthcare is a provider of comprehensive medical services, including a full-service hospital and various medical facilities in San Antonio.

Car Insurance Rates

Learn about car insurance prices and finding the right coverage for you.

Car insurance rates are affected by many factors. Some are simply the day-to-day costs of repairing a vehicle or covering medical expenses. Others may be more within your control when selecting an insurance policy. You want the right amount of coverage at the best price, and it's important to understand the trade-offs between cost and coverage.

What Factors Will Affect My Auto Insurance Rates?

What auto insurance costs and how much coverage you get for your insurance dollar go hand in hand. When you purchase auto insurance, you are sharing the financial risk of owning and driving a car with your insurance company. The amount of coverage you select and the deductible amount you're willing to pay determine the amount of financial risk you will have, even though you've purchased insurance.

So for example, less coverage may be less expensive, but you will also have to pay more out of pocket when filing a claim. Having a low coverage limit can also put your personal assets at risk if a claim against you exceeds your coverage. Having more coverage might be more expensive, but it can also save you money when you have a claim or are found to be at fault in an accident involving others. Some other factors that affect your rates:

• State - each state has their own insurance regulations that can affect costs.
• Region - local average costs of repairing or replacing your particular vehicle or parts will affect your rate, as will medical costs, which vary by region also.
• Personal information - the driving records and credit-based insurance scores of the drivers on your policy typically raise or lower the price of your insurance.

Know What Policy Features are Included

When Liberty Mutual provides you with a car insurance quote, we list all coverages and features of the policy so that you know exactly what's included in your quote, and which items may have an additional cost, such as towing or car rental coverages. When you compare car insurance, make sure you're getting the coverage you need and the features you want.

Know What Coverage You're Getting

Know What Coverage You're Getting
Auto insurance policies have a number of components. When you compare car insurance it's a good idea to be familiar with concepts such as:

• Liability
• Medical payments and personal injury
• Uninsured/underinsured motorists
• Collision and comprehensive

Before you compare car insurance quotes, learn more about Car Insurance Coverages.

How to Compare Car Insurance

There's more to car insurance than the dollar amount.

When comparing car insurance quotes online, it helps to compare apples to apples; in other words, you want to be sure that the quotes you get are for identical - or at least very similar - auto insurance policies. Here are some things to be looking for when you compare car insurance quotes:

Ensure Coverages, Limits and Deductible Amounts are the Same
Higher coverages and limits, as well as lower deductibles, will raise the premium you pay. At the same time, lower coverages and limits and higher deductibles will lower your premium. Be sure, also, that you are comparing the same coverage period, usually a 6-month or 12-month term.

Use the limits listed on your current policy, or use our Car Insurance Coverage Calculator to select the amounts you'll use to compare car insurance rates.

What Coverage is Best for Me?

When purchasing a car insurance policy, you want to make sure that you're getting the coverage you need to fit your specific situation. You can learn more in our Car Insurance Coverage section. If you're not sure what type of coverage you need, try using our Car Insurance Coverage Calculator. This easy-to-use tool lets you review different levels of auto insurance coverage to help you determine what best fits your needs. What if I Need to Talk to Someone? If you need help during the online quote process, we have an extensive online help center, as well as a real-time chat feature. But of course you can also always give us a call or contact a Local Agent to get the same great insurance quote experience.

What Factors Will Affect My Rate?

When you request an auto insurance quote online, there are three major factors when your rate is calculated:

• Your Vehicle: The more expensive a car is to repair or replace, the more it costs to insure. Your vehicle's safety features can help lower your auto insurance quote, as can how often you drive the car and what type of driving it's used for (business or personal).
• Your Address: Where you live and park your vehicle will affect your auto insurance quote.
• Your Driving Record: Having fewer incidents such as accidents, moving violations or claims in your driving record will help lower your rate.

If you already have a car insurance policy and are comparing new car insurance quotes to determine what is best for you, make sure that you are comparing similar coverage, limits and deductible amounts. In most cases Liberty Mutual can provide multiple car insurance quotes, any of which can be customized to meet your car insurance needs.