Trimachi v. Workers Compensation Comm'n, No. Cv 97-0403037s (Jun. 14, 2000)

**What Happened** George Trimachi filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut Workers Compensation Commission, claiming his employer failed to accommodate his disability, retaliated against him, and discriminated against him. The employer asked the court to dismiss certain parts of his lawsuit before it could proceed to trial. **What the Court Decided** The court issued a mixed ruling. It allowed Trimachi's claim about failure to accommodate his disability to move forward, rejecting the employer's attempt to dismiss it. However, the court did grant the employer's request to remove Trimachi's demand for punitive damages, explaining that Connecticut law doesn't allow punitive damages in these types of employment cases. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that workers in Connecticut can pursue claims when their employers fail to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities. The court's decision to let the accommodation claim proceed means workers have legal protection when employers don't meet their obligations under disability laws. However, workers should know that in Connecticut, they typically cannot seek punitive damages (extra money meant to punish the employer) in these cases—only compensation for actual losses and harm suffered.