Fired Over a $1.69 Orange Juice During Diabetic Emergency, Cashier Wins $277,565 From Dollar General

She drank a $1.69 bottle of orange juice to prevent a diabetic emergency. Her employer dismissed her for it. Later, a federal jury awarded her $277,565.

Linda Atkins worked as a cashier at Dollar General in Maryville, Tennessee and lives with Type 1 diabetes. During one of her shifts, her blood sugar dropped to a dangerously low level. She asked a supervisor for permission to grab a drink from the register area to stabilize her condition, but the request was denied.

Concerned about losing consciousness, Atkins took a $1.69 bottle of orange juice, drank it immediately to raise her blood sugar, and then paid for it right afterward. Despite this, Dollar General terminated her employment, citing a company policy called “grazing,” which refers to consuming store merchandise before it has been paid for.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against the company under the Americans with Disabilities Act, arguing that firing Atkins failed to accommodate a medical emergency related to her disability.

A federal jury sided with Atkins and awarded her $277,565, including $27,565 in back pay and $250,000 in compensatory damages. What began as a $1.69 bottle of juice ultimately became one of the company’s most costly termination cases.