Murdock v. McNair
Case Details
- Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
- 710 Labor: Fair Standards
- Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
- Unknown
- Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
- default judgment
- State
- Arkansas
- Circuit
- Eighth Circuit
Related Laws
No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Claim Types
Outcome
Plaintiff Shelby Murdock obtained a default judgment against defendants Daniel McNair and Daniel McNair, Ltd. (Rover Oaks Grooming, Boarding, Training & Day Care) for wage-and-hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, receiving $16,215.17 in damages plus $14,608.40 in attorney fees and costs.
What This Ruling Means
Murdock v. McNair: Wage Theft Case Summary
What Happened
Shelby Murdock worked at Rover Oaks Grooming, Boarding, Training & Day Care, owned by Daniel McNair. Murdock sued her employer for wage theft—meaning the employer failed to pay her the wages she was legally owed under federal wage laws.
What the Court Decided
The court ruled in Murdock's favor. Since the defendant didn't respond to the lawsuit, the judge issued a default judgment against both the owner and the business. Murdock received $16,215.17 in damages for unpaid wages, plus an additional $14,608.40 to cover her attorney fees and court costs. In total, the employer had to pay over $30,800.
Why This Matters for Workers
This case shows that workers can successfully recover stolen wages in court. When employers fail to pay earned wages, workers have legal protections under federal law. If an employer doesn't respond to a lawsuit, courts can rule against them automatically. Workers who believe they haven't been paid fairly should document their hours and consider consulting an attorney—and they may recover not just lost wages, but also legal fees.
This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.
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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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