Disability cases can get really technical

Permission to bring service animals to the workplace is becoming a more common experience. However, as a recent decision of the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals demonstrates, there isn’t a blanket requirement that service animals be allowed.

Synopsis

Perry Hopman, a conductor for Union Pacific Railroad (Union Pacific), sued when Union Pacific refused his requests to bring his Rottweiler service dog onboard moving Union Pacific freight trains as a reasonable accommodation. He stated that this accommodation would improve the effects of Hopman's undisputed disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and migraine headaches resulting from his prior service in the military. After a jury ruled in Hopman’s favor, the district court set aside the verdict ruling there was no legal basis for finding a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Background

Hopman started working for Union Pacific as a train conductor in 2008, between his tours of duty. He served two military tours as a flight medic—in Iraq from 2006-2008, where he responded to scenes of catastrophic injury and death from IEDs, and in Kosovo in 2010, which ended when he suffered traumatic brain injury after falling 50 feet out of a helicopter.