The Missing Comma

The Missing Comma- and what it can cost you !

Sometime ago I wrote about the importance of precise and correct drafting, including correct usage of words.

You can find that article at :

https://lawforall.in/legal-drafting/

Or via LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/legal-drafting-hardeep-sodhi/

Found an example of what imprecise drafting can lead to.

Here , a missing comma cost a company about US Dollars Five Million !!

The case is an example of an ‘Oxford Comma’. So , firstly what is an ‘Oxford Comma’ ? It is a comma that precedes “and” or “or” in a list of three or more words in a sentence. For instance, here is a sentence that uses one:
I have some oranges, bananas, and mangoes.

And a sentence not using one may be:
He went to the movie with his friends, Rajesh and Krishnan.

The latter may be interpreted as the friends were named Rajesh and Krishnan. Or, that there were three entities : friends, Rajesh , and Krishnan.

Mostly , this is harmless. Except when you are talking contracts – and lawyers ЁЯЩВ

A suit was filed in 2014 by five truck drivers employed by Okahurst Dairy in Maine USA. They claimed unpaid overtime pay. The company, standing behind Maine’s labor laws , claimed drivers were not eligible for overtime pay.
Maine’s labor laws allow that anyone working for more than 40 hours gets overtime at the rate of 1.5 times normal wages. Except for certain exemptions.
Summarily put, relevant portion of the law states that the following activities do NOT qualify for overtime pay :
The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:

  1. Agricultural produce;
  2. Meat and fish product; and
  3. Perishable foods

The drivers distribute perishable food, but don’t pack it. The Company argued that there are two distinct activities that are exempt from overtime pay : packing for shipment, and distribution. So, distribution is an exempt activity not qualifying for overtime.

However, the drivers argued that since  “packing for shipment” and “distribution” were not separated by a comma, that made them a single activity of packing either for shipment or for distribution.And since drivers distribute, they are outside this exemption and so qualify for overtime.

A 2017 ruling agreed with the drivers, sending the case back to the federal District Court and opening the door to the settlement the company filed in Feb. 2018. Under the terms of the agreement, the five “named” plaintiffs (those who led the suit) will each receive $50,000. Any of the approximately 127 drivers involved who file claims will receive a minimum of $100 or the amount of overtime pay owed from between May 2008 and August 2012.

So, words matter. And so does even punctuation !

For clarity, the law has since been edited and now reads :

 F.  The canning; processing; preserving; freezing; drying; marketing; storing; packing for shipment; or distributing of:                                                                                                                                       (1)  Agricultural produce;                                                                                                                                               (2)  Meat and fish products; and                                                                                                                                               (3)  Perishable foods.                             

And you can find the actual ruling at :

https://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca1/16-1901/16-1901-2017-03-13.pdf?ts=1489437006

Thoughts ? More examples ? Feel free to comment in !

PS : BTW, if you have read this far, correct word in image above should be ‘losing’ not ‘loosing’ ! Let me know if you caught on early by commenting hereunder :-))

For any further queries and discussions, please see the the contact us page.
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рдЗрд╕ рд╡реЗрдмрд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдХреЗ рд╕рднреА рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧрдХрд░реНрддрд╛рдУрдВ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЕрд╕реНрд╡реАрдХрд░рдг

рдЗрд╕ рд╡реЗрдмрд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░рд╛ рдкреНрд░рджрд╛рди рдХреА рдЧрдИ рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рдФрд░ рд╕рд▓рд╛рд╣ рд╕рд╛рдорд╛рдиреНрдп рд╣реИред рд╡рд╣ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рд╡рд┐рд╢рд┐рд╖реНрдЯ рдорд╛рдорд▓реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реИред рдХреГрдкрдпрд╛ рд╣рдореЗрд╢рд╛ рдЙрдЪрд┐рдд рдХрд╛рдиреВрдиреА рд╕рд▓рд╛рд╣ рд▓реЗрдВред

рдЖрдкрдХреЗ рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░рд╛ рдЗрд╕ рд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдХрд╛ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рддрд░рд╣ рдХрд╛ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХрд╛ рдЕрд░реНрде рдирд┐рдореНрдирд▓рд┐рдЦрд┐рдд рдХреЗ рдкреНрд░рддрд┐ рдЖрдкрдХреА рд╕рд╣рдорддрд┐ рдФрд░ рд╕реНрд╡реАрдХреГрддрд┐ рд╣реИ:

1) рд╣рдордиреЗ рдЖрдкрдХреЛ рд╡рд┐рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдкрдиреЛрдВ рдЬреИрд╕реЗ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рдорд╛рдзреНрдпрдо рд╕реЗ рдЗрд╕ рд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдХрд╛ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдкреНрд░реЗрд░рд┐рдд рдирд╣реАрдВ рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рди рд╣реА рдЖрдкрд╕реЗ рдХреЛрдИ рдХрд╛рдо рдорд╛рдВрдЧрд╛ рд╣реИред

2) рдпрд╣рд╛рдВ рджреА рдЧрдпреА рд╕рднреА рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рд╕рд╛рдорд╛рдиреНрдп рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рдЖрдк рдЗрд╕рдХрд╛ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдкреВрд░реА рддрд░рд╣ рд╕реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдЗрдЪреНрдЫрд╛ рдФрд░ рдЬреЛрдЦрд┐рдо рдкрд░ рдХрд░рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред рдпрд╣ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рддрд░рд╣ рд╕реЗ рдЧреНрд░рд╛рд╣рдХ-рд╡рдХреАрд▓ рд╕рдВрдмрдВрдз рдХрд╛ рдЧрдарди рдирд╣реАрдВ рдХрд░рддрд╛ рд╣реИ ред рдпрд╣рд╛рдВ рдкреНрд░рд╕реНрддреБрдд рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рдкрд░ рднрд░реЛрд╕рд╛ рдХрд░рддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рд╡реНрдпрдХреНрддрд┐ рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░рд╛ рдХреА рдЧрдИ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рдХрд╛рд░реНрд░рд╡рд╛рдИ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рд╣рдо рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рддрд░рд╣ рд╕реЗ рдЙрддреНрддрд░рджрд╛рдпреА рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реИрдВред рдпрд╣ рджреЛрд╣рд░рд╛рдпрд╛ рдЬрд╛рддрд╛ рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ рд╣рдореЗрд╢рд╛ рдЙрдЪрд┐рдд рдХрд╛рдиреВрдиреА рд╕рд▓рд╛рд╣ рд▓реА рдЬрд╛рдиреА рдЪрд╛рд╣рд┐рдПред рд╣рдорд╛рд░реА рд╡реЗрдмрд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдореЗрдВ рдореМрдЬреВрдж рдХреЛрдИ рднреА рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рдкреНрд░рдХрд╛рд░ рдХреА рдХрд╛рдиреВрдиреА рд░рд╛рдп рдпрд╛ рдХрд╛рдиреВрдиреА рд╕рд▓рд╛рд╣ рдХреЗ рдмрд░рд╛рдмрд░ рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реИред

3) рдЗрд╕ рд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдХреЗ рдорд╛рдзреНрдпрдо рд╕реЗ рд╣рдорд╛рд░реЗ рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░рд╛ рдХрд┐рдП рдЧрдП рд╕рднреА рдкреНрд░рдпрд╛рд╕ рдкреВрд░реА рддрд░рд╣ рд╕реЗ рд╕реНрд╡реИрдЪреНрдЫрд┐рдХ рдФрд░ рдирд┐рдГрд╢реБрд▓реНрдХ рд╣реИрдВред рд╣рдорд╛рд░реЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рдкреНрд░рд╢реНрди рдХрд╛ рдЙрддреНрддрд░ рджреЗрдирд╛ рдЖрд╡рд╢реНрдпрдХ рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рд╣рдо рдкреНрд░рд╢реНрдирдХрд░реНрддрд╛ рдХреЛ рд╕реВрдЪрд┐рдд рдХрд┐рдП рдмрд┐рдирд╛ рдХрд┐рд╕реА рднреА рд╕рдордп рдРрд╕рд╛ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд╕реЗ рдЗрдирдХрд╛рд░ рдХрд░ рд╕рдХрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред

4) рд╣рдорд╛рд░реА рд╡реЗрдмрд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдЖрдкрдХреЗ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧрдХрд░реНрддрд╛ рдЕрдиреБрднрд╡ рдХреЛ рдмреЗрд╣рддрд░ рдмрдирд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдХреБрдХреАрдЬрд╝ рдХрд╛ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХрд░рддреА рд╣реИред рд╣рдорд╛рд░реА рд╕рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдХрд╛ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХрд╛ рдорддрд▓рдм рд╣реИ рдХреА рдЖрдк рдХреБрдХреАрдЬрд╝ рдХреЗ рд╣рдорд╛рд░реЗ рдЙрдкрдпреЛрдЧ рд╕реЗ рд╕рд╣рдордд рд╣реИрдВред