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A Missing Oxford Comma Once Cost a Company Millions
A lawsuit over overtime pay was decided by the absence of an Oxford comma in Maine's labor law, costing a dairy company millions in settlements.
About this fact
In 2017, a class-action lawsuit against Oakhurst Dairy in Maine hinged on the missing Oxford comma in the state's overtime law. The law listed activities exempt from overtime pay: 'packing for shipment or distribution of perishable foods.' The drivers argued that since there was no comma before 'or,' they only distributed food but didn't pack it, so they deserved overtime pay. The court agreed, ruling that the ambiguous language favored the workers. The case ultimately settled for $5 million, highlighting how crucial punctuation can be in legal contexts.