Adkins v. Briggs & Stratton Corp.
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
159 F.3d 306 (1998)

- Written by Darius Dehghan, JD
Facts
Thomas Adkins (plaintiff) was an employee at Briggs & Stratton Corporation (defendant). Adkins had narcolepsy, a condition that caused him to suddenly fall asleep for short periods of time. Briggs & Stratton fired Adkins after he was found sleeping at the wheel of his forklift. But Briggs & Stratton had no knowledge of Adkins’s narcolepsy at the time it fired Adkins. Adkins brought suit, contending that Briggs & Stratton violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Briggs & Stratton filed a motion to dismiss, which was granted by the district court. Subsequently, Briggs & Stratton filed a motion for attorney’s fees, arguing that its attorney’s fees should be paid by Adkins. The district court denied the motion, finding that Adkins’s ADA claim was not frivolous. Briggs & Stratton appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Evans, J.)
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