So, get this — eight years ago, Daniel Ridge started a legal battle against his old boss for firing him from his gig at a morgue. At the same time, he was battling his own mental health demons. The dude is 49 years old and last month, he won a whopping $2.4 million in a lawsuit against his old employer. But here’s the kicker — he wasn’t even in court to hear the verdict. His mental health had taken a nosedive, and he ended up homeless and estranged from his family. Sad stuff, right?
His lawyers are out here scratching their heads, trying to figure out where the heck he went. Like, seriously, finding him among all the homeless folks in Oakland is gonna be a real challenge. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, ya know? Donald Whitehead from the National Coalition for the Homeless said it’s tough to track down people who get lost in the system. Like, it’s a real struggle.
The little info we have on Ridge comes from a statement by his lawyers. Apparently, he used to live in SoCal or NorCal during the ‘80s and ‘90s. Those were wild times, man. Narcotics, gang violence — it was all over the place. The crime rate was through the roof! Ridge went through some serious trauma, losing friends to gang violence and even witnessing his uncle get set on fire. That’s rough, no doubt.
Despite all the hardships, Ridge managed to become a certified nursing assistant and snag a job at a hospital in Oakland. But things went south when he was forced to work full-time hours for part-time pay. Not cool, right? And the conditions at the hospital were straight-up nasty. Bodies left uncovered, fluids all over the place — it was a mess. Ridge was trying to keep things clean, but it was a losing battle.
His mental health took a hit, and he was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. He tried to get back to work, but they straight-up fired him while he was on medical leave. Not cool, Alameda Health System, not cool. A jury saw through their BS and awarded Ridge a fat sum for emotional distress and lost earnings. But get this — the hospital plans to appeal the ruling. Like, really? Can’t admit when you’re wrong, huh?
Ridge’s lawyer, Bohm, was shocked by the hospital’s response. He was all, “Dude, the case was a slam dunk. I won without my client even testifying.” They could’ve settled for half a mil back in 2018, but the hospital blew it. Typical, right? Just goes to show, sometimes the little guy wins in the end.
