An Ohio-based company was found liable for a newborn’s death after initially denying a mother’s work-from-home request during a high-risk pregnancy and ordered to pay $22.5 million in damages. “The jury in Hamilton County found that Total Quality Logistics (TQL) was largely responsible for the baby’s death,” WXIX reports. An Ohio-based company that initially balked at granting a mom's request to work from home during a high-risk pregnancy has been found liable for the newborn's death and ordered to pay $22.5 million in damages. https://t.co/OTnjOtalXc — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 19, 2026 WXIX explained further: The press release from Wolterman Law Office says that, according to evidence presented at trial, Chelsea Walsh had a pregnancy-related procedure in early February 2021 and was classified as high-risk. Her doctors told her to limit activity, stay on modified bed rest, and work from home, the press release said. Her lawyers stated in a press release that when she requested to work remotely, TQL declined. She was told to return to the office immediately after the procedure, fill out leave paperwork, and was eventually placed on leave — a decision she did not agree with. On Feb. 24, TQL told Walsh she could work from home, but only after a third party, unrelated to the company, made the request. The approval came too late because that same day, Walsh was hospitalized with complications and gave birth to Magnolia Walsh. Chelsea’s lawyers say Magnolia was born at 20 weeks and six days of gestation and died several hours later. “Magnolia had a heartbeat, was breathing, and exhibited fetal movement,” the lawsuit read, according to NBC News. “Magnolia was placed on Walsh’s chest so that Walsh could hold her. Magnolia died in Walsh’s arms approximately one hour and thirty minutes later,” it added. More from NBC News: “This is a heartbreaking outcome for a young family,” said one of Walsh’s lawyers,. Matthew C. Metzger of Wolterman Law Office in Loveland, Ohio. “The evidence showed that Chelsea Walsh was following her doctors’ instructions for a high-risk pregnancy and simply asked to work from home.” “The jury found that TQL’s denial of that reasonable request led to the death of her daughter,” he said. TQL spokesperson Julia Daugherty extended condolences to the Walsh family, but said the company disagrees with the verdict “and the way the facts were characterized at trial.” “We are evaluating legal options and remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees,” said Daugherty. Walsh was finally allowed to work from home after her husband, Joel Walsh, spoke about his wife’s plight with his company’s human resources manager, who is friends with a top executive at TQL, the suit states. That manager, who is not named in the lawsuit, notified the TQL executive about Walsh’s situation. “Thank you,” the TQL executive said, according to the lawsuit. “You just saved us a lawsuit.”