Skip to main content

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

Butcher

Mar 30, 2000W.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Lozada

Mar 27, 2000W.D. Mich.Mixed Result

Asarco, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor

Mar 17, 20006th CircuitDismissed

Donald Linville William R. Gaitten, Estate of v. Teamsters Miscellaneous and Industrial Workers Union, Local 284

Mar 13, 20006th CircuitMixed Result

Wyandot, Inc., Plaintiff/ Counter-Defendant-Appellee v. Local 227, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Defendant/counter-Plaintiff-Appellant

Mar 9, 20006th CircuitDefendant Win

Richards

Feb 25, 2000E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Lopez

Feb 23, 2000E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Frank

Feb 3, 2000E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Island Creek Coal Company v. Arthur W. Holdman, (Deceased) Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor

Jan 27, 20006th CircuitDefendant Win

Massey

Jan 19, 2000N.D. OhioPlaintiff Win

Teamsters Local Union 299 v. U.S. Truck Co. Holdings, Inc.

Jan 19, 2000E.D. Mich.Mixed Result

Hamrick

Jan 12, 2000S.D. OhioDefendant Win

Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Local 7-629, Afl-Cio v. Rmi Titanium Company

Jan 12, 20006th CircuitDefendant Win

Mohat

Jan 8, 20006th CircuitMixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Roadway Express, Inc.

Dec 15, 1999N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Comm'n v. Outback Steakhouse of Florida, Inc.

Nov 15, 1999N.D. OhioPlaintiff Win

Reynolds

Oct 13, 1999W.D. Mich.Mixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Sep 13, 19996th CircuitRemanded

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. E.J. Sacco, Inc.

Aug 31, 1999E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Howell

Aug 27, 1999N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Lamont

Jul 29, 1999E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Brown

Jul 22, 1999N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Trocheck

Jun 30, 1999N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Blough

Jun 7, 1999N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Marcum

May 14, 1999N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Summerville

May 12, 1999W.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Albert J. SCOTT, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. the GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee

Jan 11, 19996th CircuitRemanded

William BAGSBY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. CENTRAL STATES, SOUTHEAST & SOUTHWEST AREAS PENSION FUND, Defendant-Appellee

Dec 9, 19986th CircuitDefendant Win

Rutlin

Dec 3, 1998W.D. Mich.Mixed Result

Hall

Nov 23, 1998W.D. Tenn.Defendant Win

Dorsey

Sep 30, 1998W.D. Ky.Plaintiff Win

Hall

Sep 24, 1998E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Warg

Sep 10, 1998N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Isaac FORD, Et Al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. UNIROYAL PENSION PLAN, Defendant-Appellee

Sep 4, 19986th CircuitDefendant Win

Hummel

Sep 4, 1998W.D. Mich.Mixed Result

Spectronics Corp. v. TCI/TKR of Jefferson County, Inc.

Aug 20, 1998W.D. Ky.Plaintiff Win

Grutter

Aug 17, 1998E.D. Mich.Dismissed

Eeoc v. At&t Co.

Jul 17, 1998S.D. OhioMixed Result

Bond

Jul 8, 1998N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Benito T. PEREZ, Jr., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. AETNA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee

Jul 1, 19986th CircuitDefendant Win

Bartell

Jul 1, 1998E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Burtner

Jun 26, 1998N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. United Ass'n of Journeymen & Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry, Local 120

Jun 25, 1998N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Amini

Jun 4, 1998N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Black v. Barberton Citizens Hospital

Jun 2, 1998N.D. OhioDefendant Win

Lowery

May 26, 1998E.D. Tenn.Remanded

Lombard

May 21, 1998N.D. OhioMixed Result

Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union, Local 421 v. A-CMI Michigan Casting Center

May 19, 1998W.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Prevo's Family Market, Inc.

Apr 23, 19986th CircuitDefendant Win

CASTELLER

Apr 16, 1998E.D. Mich.Defendant Win

Browse Other Circuits

Explore employment rulings from the other federal circuits.

Facing something similar at work?Check your rights — free, private, no sign-up

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.