Gifford v. Horry County South Carolina

**What Happened:** Héctor Galloza Serrano sued his former employer, Centro de Desarrollo Académico, Inc. (CDA), claiming the company broke their employment contract. Galloza also tried to hold the company's individual shareholder, Carlos Morales Vázquez, personally responsible for the contract violation through a legal theory called "piercing the corporate veil." **What the Court Decided:** The trial court sided with Galloza on his main claim, ruling that CDA did indeed breach his employment contract. The company was ordered to pay $80,000 in damages. However, the court rejected Galloza's attempt to make the individual shareholder personally liable, meaning only the company itself had to pay. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This case shows that employees can successfully sue their employers when employment contracts are violated and recover significant financial compensation. However, it also demonstrates that holding individual company owners personally responsible is difficult - workers typically can only collect damages from the company itself, not from the people who own or run it. Workers should keep detailed records of their employment agreements and seek legal help if they believe their contracts have been broken.