Nashville Wrongful Termination Attorneys

Can You Sue For Wrongful Termination?

It is against the law for an individual to be fired based on their race, gender, age, religion, ethnic background, or disability. However, incidents of illegal firing occur constantly in the workplace. Proving the connection between your protected activity and wrongful termination is often challenging. That is where we step in.

If you believe that you are a victim of this circumstance, contact our wrongful termination lawyers in Nashville today. We focus exclusively on workers’ rights. Our attorneys represent clients involved in employment law cases throughout Nashville, Columbia, Franklin, and Murfreesboro.

To have one of our team members review your legal matter, call us at (615) 724-1996 or contact us online.

What Qualifies as Wrongful Termination?

Tennessee is an at-will employment state. This means employers can terminate a worker without needing to provide justification. However, there are still illegal reasons to fire an employee.

Examples of wrongful termination include terminating an employee:

• Due to their participation in an investigation into illegal practices
• As a result of them reporting discrimination, harassment, ADA violations, or illegal activities (whistleblowers)
• Because of their race, age, gender identification, disability, or membership in another protected class
• Due to them taking a leave of absence protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Due to their pregnancy or recent diagnosis with a chronic medical condition
• In violation of an existing employment contract

Wrongful Termination and Retaliation

There have been many cases where employees have reported discrimination from an employer or coworker, and as a result, they were suddenly terminated. This type of situation is known as retaliation, which is made illegal by the Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Equal Pay Act.

This is unacceptable. You have rights and should not be punished for exercising those rights.

How to File a Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

If you are the victim of wrongful termination, your first option is to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or another appropriate agency. The EEOC will then conduct an investigation into the situation and your employer. At the end of this investigation, the EEOC will issue you a Right to Sue letter.

With your right to sue letter, you can file a wrongful termination lawsuit against your company. In the state of Tennessee, you have 180 days from your date of termination to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. This is extended to 300 days if your wrongful termination was based on violations of federal and state civil rights, such as discrimination. Therefore, it is important to act quickly.

Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be eligible to receive compensation.

Some compensation available in a wrongful termination case can include:

• Back pay
• Repayment for lost benefits
• Damages for emotional distress
• Punitive damages, in certain cases

Our attorneys can look over all factors in your termination case to help determine your best course of action. We are prepared to use our experience as negotiators to your advantage as well as be your advocate in court.

Protecting Employees Wrongfully Terminated in Tennessee

Our team knows where to begin an investigation and how to analyze data to build a compelling case. We may look at your employer’s history regarding layoffs and look for any similarities between race, age, sex, or disability that may have influenced their decision.

It is also helpful to assess your performance in comparison to other employers who weren’t terminated and look for disparities. For this reason, we recommend you keep any performance reviews and save any emails or memos where you were recognized for your contributions.

Start discussing your case with an experienced Nashville wrongful termination attorney today. Call HMC Civil Rights at (615) 724-1996.