Judge rules in favor of Trumbull engineer’s office, orders employee to pay $10,316

Staff report

WARREN

A judge in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court has ruled in favor of the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office and county commissioners in the civil suit filed against a county engineer’s employee in 2015.

The decision means Robert Gatti of Hubbard must repay $10,316 owed for hospitalization benefits he received while also receiving workers’ compensation, according to the ruling.

Gatti was injured during an accident on the job on or around Oct. 20, 2008, and placed on paid sick leave Oct. 20, 2008, to Jan. 16, 2009, then went on workers’ compensation from Jan. 17, 2009, to Nov. 5, 2009, the lawsuit said.

He was on sick/vacation leave from Nov. 6, 2009, to March 17, 2010, and back on workers’ compensation from March 19, 2010, to Feb. 14, 2011, when he returned to work, the suit says.

Judge W. Wyatt McKay said in his ruling that Gatti violated the terms of his collective bargaining agreement by not paying the $10,316 and was unjustly enriched.

The judge rejected arguments that the common pleas court did not have jurisdiction.