He couldn't walk. He asked for leave. That same evening, he was out of a job
A long-serving Panasonic supervisor says the company fired him the same night he told them he couldn't walk and needed medical leave.
The worker had been with Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America since March 2017, based at its facility in Sparks, Nevada. According to a complaint filed October 1 in the US District Court for the District of Nevada, he suffered from gout - a condition that causes acute joint pain and swelling, and in his case made walking difficult during flare-ups.
The trouble had been building. The filing alleges severe flare-ups in May 2025 and September 2025. Then on December 3, 2025, another episode hit his right leg.
Five days later, things got worse. During his overnight shift on December 8, the complaint says, his foot became so swollen and painful he could not walk. He got permission to leave early.
That same day, according to the filing, the worker told Panasonic he couldn't make his next shift. He submitted a request for emergency paid time off, asked for medical leave, and sought to start the interactive process - the formal back-and-forth where employer and employee work together to find a reasonable way to accommodate a disability.
He also told the company he was in the middle of an acute gout attack, was extremely ill from his medication, and was experiencing a medical emergency, the complaint alleges.
Then came the termination. Later that evening - still December 8 - Panasonic ended his employment, the filing states. The complaint calls the stated reason "false and pretextual," alleging the real motives were "discrimination" based on his disability and "retaliation" for requesting medical leave and accommodation.
The lawsuit brings seven claims spanning federal and Nevada law: disability "discrimination" under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Nevada's NRS 613.330; "retaliation" under the ADA and NRS 613.340; failure to provide reasonable accommodation under both the ADA and state law; and interference with his rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the federal law that protects employees who need time off for serious health conditions.
The worker is seeking compensatory damages including lost earnings and benefits, emotional distress damages, and punitive damages. His complaint alleges Panasonic's conduct was undertaken with "malice" and "reckless indifference" and was "oppressive" and "fraudulent."
Before filing suit, the worker lodged a charge of "discrimination" with both the EEOC and the Nevada Equal Rights Commission on September 29, 2026, according to the complaint. The EEOC closed the case without making findings the following day and issued an immediate right-to-sue notice.
For HR teams, the timeline here carries a clear practical signal. A same-day termination following a medical leave and accommodation request is the kind of sequence that draws scrutiny under both the ADA and FMLA - whatever the employer's stated reason turns out to be.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and no judge has made any findings or rulings on the merits.
