Milano v. Laboratory Corp.

**What Happened** Milano filed a lawsuit against Laboratory Corp., a drug testing company, claiming they were negligent in how they handled his drug test. Milano had previously challenged the validity of this same drug test during an administrative hearing with the Taxi and Limousine Commission (which oversees taxi drivers), where he lost his case. **What the Court Decided** The court dismissed Milano's negligence lawsuit against the drug testing company. The court ruled that Milano couldn't relitigate the same issues about whether his drug test was valid because those questions had already been decided against him in the prior administrative hearing. This legal principle is called "collateral estoppel" - essentially, you can't keep fighting the same battle in different courts once it's been decided. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that workers need to be strategic about where and how they challenge workplace drug tests. If you lose a challenge to a drug test in an administrative hearing (like with a licensing board), you likely won't be able to sue the testing company later for negligence on the same issues. Workers should ensure they raise all their concerns and present their strongest case during the initial administrative process.