Doctor ordered modified bed rest, work from home
A jury in Ohio said a firm must pay $22.5 million after an employee who was having complications with her pregnancy was not allowed to work from home — despite her doctors’ orders — and gave birth prematurely to a baby who died.
The Cincinnati-area Hamilton County jury of five women and three men found that Total Quality Logistics was negligent for the 2021 death of Magnolia Walsh. She was delivered after 20 weeks and died after only 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 a pregnancy complication that led her doctor to perform an emergency procedure intended to maintain the pregnancy.
Walsh’s doctor instructed her to be on modified bed rest, work from home and limit her activity, to protect the pregnancy.
Four days after the procedure, which took place on Feb. 11, 2021, Walsh went to TQL’s offices and asked to work from home, so she could follow her doctor’s instructions.
But Walsh’s request to work remotely was not granted. Instead, she was required to return to the office and, at one point, was placed on unpaid leave against her wishes.
During closing arguments, one of her attorneys, Brian Butler, said two doctors submitted letters on Walsh’s behalf. The second doctor said that working from home was necessary “in order to prevent further complications with her high risk pregnancy, due to increased activity at the workplace.”
Despite that, TQL denied Walsh’s request to work from home.
‘This Was a Heartbreaking Case for a Young Family’
Walsh’s husband, Jacob, then talked to an official at his employer’s human resources office about TQL’s decision. That person contacted a TQL vice president, according to the lawsuit, saying TQL had made a substantial error by denying Walsh’s request.
On the morning of Feb. 24, 2021, TQL informed Walsh it would allow her to work from home, only because of a request by a third party. But it was too late, her attorneys said. Later that day, she experienced complications and was admitted to a local hospital, where she gave birth to Magnolia.
“This was a heartbreaking case for a young family,” attorney Matthew Metzger, who also represented the Walsh family, said in a statement. “The evidence showed that Chelsea Walsh was following her doctors’ instructions 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 the death of her daughter.”
A TQL spokeswoman, Julia Daugherty, said in a statement: “We extend our condolences to the Walsh family. We disagree with the verdict and the way the facts were characterized at trial. We are evaluating legal options and remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees.”
What Is Total Quality Logistics?
TQL, based in Union Township outside Cincinnati, is one of the country’s largest freight-brokerage firms. It arranges shipments of goods for food producers, manufacturers and other clients. Additionally, TQL Stadium, the home field of MLS side FC Cincinnati, is named after the 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 originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jury says firm must pay $22.5M after pregnant employee’s baby died
Reporting by Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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