Case: Discrimination/Independent Contractor (E.D. Mich.)

Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. is entitled to summary judgment on the breach of contract and Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act age discrimination claims of Worldwide Underwriters, Ltd. and its 60-year-old owner, a federal court in Michigan ruled. Worldwide’s owner failed to show he had performed his job satisfactorily—given that he admitted materially misrepresenting customer information on three auto insurance applications for Detroit residents—or that he was replaced by or treated less favorably than a similarly-situated individual outside his protected class. Additionally, the parties’ agency agreement expressly stated that Worldwide and the owner were independent contractors. As such, he wasn’t an employee ...