Wrongful termination victims

A person can be fired from their job for many reasons. But when someone feels they were unjustly let go, they may want to file a wrongful termination lawsuit in order to be compensated for lost wages and emotional distress.

Even in the case of at-will employment, which is a common-law contract that states employment will be for an indefinite term, people may be able to file a wrongful termination complaint under certain circumstances. In an at-will state, a person can be fired for no reason, with no notice or warning.

However, if a person is terminated for unlawful causes, they may have grounds for a lawsuit.

A person cannot be fired due to race, gender or national origin. A person cannot be let go for refusing to commit an illegal act, for discussing working conditions or wages, for being a whistleblower, or if that person filed a worker's compensation complaint. And a person cannot be fired if the termination is a violation of their employee contract.

People who think they were wrongfully terminated should first determine if they worked in an at-will state, look for an employment contract to review and document all the circumstances of the termination, including copies of all paperwork such as memos or a termination notice.

People considering legal action should then hire an experienced labor lawyer to ensure that their lawsuit is filed in a timely manner.