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Employment Rulings in the Sixth Circuit

The Sixth Circuit covers the federal courts in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The rulings below come from the circuit's court of appeals and the federal trial courts within it.

Of the 2,531 published rulings we track here (19492026), the breakdowns below show how they were decided. They describe published opinions only — not the odds of any particular situation.

How These Rulings Ended

Of the 2,531 published rulings we track in the Sixth Circuit.

Defendant Win
1,124 (44%)
Plaintiff Win
460 (18%)
Mixed Result
385 (15%)
Dismissed
348 (14%)
Remanded
164 (6%)
Settlement
50 (2%)

What Happens at Each Stage

A workplace lawsuit moves through stages, and a ruling can end it at any of them. Here is where the 2,489 rulings we could classify by stage were decided.

Appeal
1,205 (48%)

A higher court reviewing an earlier decision. Many published opinions come from this stage, after a lot has already happened in the case.

Summary judgment
484 (19%)

A ruling where the judge decides the case — or part of it — without a trial, because one side argues the key facts are not in dispute. For workers, getting past this step is often the biggest hurdle.

Of the 484 summary-judgment rulings here, 285 ended the case in the employer’s favor and 199 let the worker’s claims continue.

Motion to dismiss
658 (26%)

An early request — usually by the employer — to throw the case out before any evidence is gathered.

Trial verdict
40 (2%)

A judge or jury heard the evidence and reached a decision. Relatively few disputes get this far.

Settlement / consent decree
46 (2%)

The two sides resolved the dispute by agreement, sometimes with court approval. Most settlements are private and never show up in published opinions.

Default judgment
26 (1%)

A decision entered because one side did not respond to the case at all.

Other rulings
30 (1%)

Procedural decisions and orders that do not fit the main stages above.

States in This Circuit

Browse rulings from courts in each state the Sixth Circuit covers.

Recent Rulings in the Sixth Circuit

International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America v. Dana Corporation

Jan 22, 20026th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Intl Union v. Dana Corporation

Jan 22, 20026th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Peabody Coal Co. v. Wilma J. Groves Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor

Jan 17, 20026th CircuitDefendant Win

Reece-Jennings

Jan 15, 2002E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Smolinsky

Jan 9, 2002N.D. OhioDefendant Win

National Union Fire Insurance v. United Catalysts, Inc.

Jan 2, 2002W.D. Ky.Defendant Win

Majeske

Dec 27, 2001E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

United Paperworkers International Union v. Inland Paperboard & Packaging, Inc.

Dec 21, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Airline Professionals Ass'n of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union No. 1224 v. ABX Air, Inc.

Dec 18, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Airline Professionals Association Of The International Brotherhood Of Teamsters, Local Union No. 1224, Afl-Cio v. Abx Air, Inc.

Dec 18, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

U.S. Ecology Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board

Dec 14, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Best

Dec 14, 2001E.D. Tenn.Mixed Result

Midland King's Daughters Home v. National Labor Relations Board

Dec 11, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board

Dec 11, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Miller v. Trans Union Corp.

Dec 5, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Murray, Inc.

Nov 13, 2001M.D. Tenn.Mixed Result

A've

Nov 9, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

National Labor Relations Board v. Pactiv Corp.

Nov 6, 20016th CircuitSettlement

Hovey Electric, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board

Nov 2, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Union Tank Car Co.

Oct 22, 2001E.D. Mich.Plaintiff Win

Highway & Local Motor Freight Employees Local Union No. 667 v. Wells Lamont Corp.

Oct 22, 2001W.D. Tenn.Defendant Win

National Labor Relations Board v. Eastern Natural Gas Co.

Oct 18, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Donald Martin v. Lake County Sewer Co., Inc. Brewery Workers, Beer Bottlers and Soft Drink Workers' Local Union No. 1164

Oct 17, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Richardson v. CVS Corp.

Oct 17, 2001E.D. Tenn.Mixed Result

Hellman

Oct 10, 2001M.D. Tenn.Mixed Result

Trustee of Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Employee Benefits Fund v. Carpentry Contractors, Inc.

Oct 4, 2001E.D. Mich.Mixed Result

National Labor Relations Board v. Judd Contracting, Inc.

Oct 4, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Bredesen

Sep 28, 2001E.D. Mich.Mixed Result

National Labor Relations Board v. Lassen Companies

Sep 24, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

National Labor Relations Board v. Freeland Manufacturing Co.

Sep 24, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Plaintiff-Appellee/ Joseph Carlton, Intervening v. Harbert-Yeargin, Inc., Defendant-Appellant/cross-Appellee

Sep 21, 20016th CircuitMixed Result

Adams

Sep 21, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

EEOC v. Harbert-Yeargin Inc

Sep 21, 20016th CircuitMixed Result

ABX Air, Inc. v. Airline Professionals Ass'n of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local Union No. 1224

Sep 19, 20016th CircuitMixed Result

Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company v. Jack Kirk and Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor

Sep 6, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Whitaker

Aug 27, 2001W.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Dickens

Aug 23, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Roadway Express, Inc.

Aug 23, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

EEOC v. Roadway Express

Aug 23, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

National Labor Relations Board v. Foundry Division of Alcon Industries, Inc.

Aug 9, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

NLRB v. Foundry Div Alcon

Aug 9, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Sandra K. Lenning v. Commercial Union Insurance Company

Aug 7, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Lenning

Aug 7, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Younce

Aug 6, 2001E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Kentucky Retirement Systems

Aug 2, 20016th CircuitRemanded

Shepherd

Jul 31, 2001S.D. OhioPlaintiff Win

Holcroft

Jul 31, 2001E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Dbm Technologies, Inc. v. Local 227, United Food & Commercial Workers International Union

Jul 20, 20016th CircuitDefendant Win

Sheet Metal Workers, International Association, Local Union No. 24 v. Architectural Metal Works, Inc.

Jul 17, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

National Labor Relations Board v. Eastown Distributors, Co.

Jul 16, 20016th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Browse Other Circuits

Explore employment rulings from the other federal circuits.

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These figures summarize publicly available published court opinions only. Published opinions over-represent summary-judgment rulings (decisions made without a trial) and appeals, because those are the stages where judges most often write formal opinions. Most workplace disputes settle privately and never appear here at all. A ruling’s outcome reflects many case-specific factors and is not a prediction for any other situation. Read more about how we source and classify rulings.

Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of outcomes and case stages is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.