If you were unlawfully terminated by your company, possibly because of your ethnicity or religion, you will almost certainly be entitled to compensation. In a wrongful termination case, the purpose of a lawsuit is to make you whole again. To put it another way, you should be reinstated to the position you were in — or should have been in — if you hadn’t been unlawfully dismissed. So, what kind of compensation may you anticipate if you were dismissed in breach of the law by your employer?
Keep reading to learn the facts and then contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 for a free legal consultation with an employment law attorney.
There are three types of damages
In wrongful termination cases, plaintiffs (the people who file the action) can seek a variety of damages. There are three types of damages: economic, compensatory, and punitive. However, a number of variables may restrict the amount of damages you can collect and the kind of damages you are eligible for in your case. An expert wrongful termination lawyer can help you determine what kind of damages you could be entitled to in your case.
Economic damages
The most common component of a wrongful termination lawsuit is economic damages. They can involve a variety of damages, such as the reimbursement of lost earnings, which is further divided into back pay and front pay. The amount of money you lost because you were unfairly fired is known as back pay. It’s measured from the moment you were unlawfully terminated to your trial date. It covers missed salary, bonuses, perks, and overtime compensation, among other things.
However, you will be obliged to mitigate your back pay damages, which means you will have to look for alternative work that is equal to the job you had before being fired. The money you make at your new work will go toward compensating you for the back pay damages award. Front pay is a type of remuneration granted to employees for the time between the court’s decision and their return to work. If reinstatement is not awarded, a front pay award may be offered instead.
Compensatory damages
Compensatory damages are intended to compensate an employee for any losses incurred as a result of being unlawfully dismissed. This might include everything from the cost of looking for a new employment to mental distress to medical bills.
Punitive damages
Employers that have participated in exceptionally intentional or reckless discriminatory practices may be subject to punitive damages. This is, however, an uncommon occurrence. To be eligible for punitive damages, you must establish that your employer discriminated or retaliated against you with the knowledge that it was illegal, or that your employer participated in flagrant or outrageous behavior from which malice or reckless indifference may be inferred.
Punitive penalties are capped at $50,000 for employers with less than 100 workers and $300,000 for those with more than 500 employees, depending on the number of employees.
If you were unlawfully dismissed by your company, you may be able to file a lawsuit to collect damages. Our attorneys at PLBH are experienced in handling wrongful termination situations. To book a free initial consultation, please call (800) 435-7542. We seldom charge a fee unless we are successful in obtaining funds for you.