Rosa Moreno Receives 2015 Illuminating Injustice Award
Rosa Moreno, a woman from Mexico who lost her hands while manufacturing LG televisions, then was denied an opportunity to sue LG due to a technicality, received Public Justice’s Illuminating Injustice Award on Monday.
Moreno lost both her hands when the metal press she was operating to stamp out LG televisions malfunctioned. After the accident, Moreno – unable to work or care for the six of her eight children that still lived at home – knew the tiny settlement she was offered wouldn’t be enough for her family to survive. Moreno sued LG, and initially obtained a default against LG USA. That judgement was later vacated, however, when a court threw out the lawsuit.
Rosa’s story garnered international attention when she wrote an op-ed published in the Guardian last month about her struggle. That op-ed has been shared over 83,000 times. In response, readers from around the world chipped in with donations to help her to purchase new prosthetic hands. As a result, she hopes to have custom prosthetic hands created for her soon.
The award was sponsored this year by Synergy Settlement Services’ Foundation for Those With Special Needs.
“All of us at Synergy are especially excited to honor Rosa. Her story has reached countless people, and is helping to change hearts and minds. That’s been the goal of the Illuminating Injustice Award all along: To shine a light on one injustice as a means of stopping others down the road,” Synergy Chief Business Development Officer Rodd Santomauro said in presenting the award.
Moreno received the award at Public Justice’s Annual Gala & Awards Dinner in Montreal.
