Pas Associates v. Twin Laboratories, No. Fst Cv99 0174428 (Jan. 4, 2000)

Worker Wins Right to Fix Name Error in Lawsuit Against Former Employer

This case involved Phillip Schiavoni, who initially filed an employment lawsuit against Twin Laboratories using his business name "PAS Associates" instead of his own personal name. Twin Laboratories argued that the court should dismiss the entire case because of this naming error, claiming it was a serious legal defect that couldn't be fixed.

The Connecticut Superior Court disagreed with the employer and refused to dismiss the case. The judge ruled that using the wrong name was simply a "misnomer" - essentially a clerical mistake - rather than a fundamental problem that would prevent the court from hearing the case. The court allowed Schiavoni to amend his complaint and correct the name error so his lawsuit could move forward.

This ruling matters for workers because it shows that courts won't let employers escape lawsuits over minor paperwork mistakes. When workers file employment cases, technical errors in how they name themselves on legal documents can often be corrected rather than causing their entire case to be thrown out. This protects workers from losing valid legal claims due to fixable filing errors, ensuring they get their day in court on the actual merits of their employment dispute.