Oregon Statutes 441.183 – Remedies for retaliation
(1) A nursing staff aggrieved by an act prohibited by ORS § 441.181 may bring an action in circuit court of the county in which the hospital is located. All remedies available in a common law tort action are available to a nursing staff if the nursing staff prevails in an action brought under this subsection and are in addition to any remedies provided in subsection (2) of this section.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 441.183
- Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
- Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
(2) In an action brought under subsection (1) of this section, a circuit court may do any of the following:
(a) Issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary or permanent injunction to restrain a continued violation of ORS § 441.181.
(b) Reinstate the nursing staff to the same or equivalent position that the nursing staff held before the retaliatory action.
(c) Reinstate full benefits and seniority rights to the nursing staff as if the nursing staff had continued in employment.
(d) Compensate the nursing staff for lost wages, benefits and other remuneration, including interest, as if the nursing staff had continued in employment.
(e) Order the hospital to pay reasonable litigation costs of the nursing staff, including reasonable expert witness fees and reasonable attorney fees.
(f) Award punitive damages as provided in ORS § 31.730.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, in any action brought by a nursing staff under subsection (1) of this section, if the court finds that the nursing staff had no objectively reasonable basis for asserting the claim, the court may award costs, expert witness fees and reasonable attorney fees to the hospital.
(4) A nursing staff may not be assessed costs or fees under subsection (3) of this section if, upon exercising reasonable and diligent efforts after filing the action, the nursing staff moves to dismiss the action against the hospital after determining that no issue of law or fact exists that supports the action against the hospital. [Formerly 441.176]
See note under 441.179.