How Much Can You Get for Wrongful Termination?

Assuming you have a case for an unlawful, not just an unfair or wrongful termination, the Atlanta wrongful termination lawyers at Fidlon Legal will give you their opinion of the value of your case. Of course, litigation is uncertain and involves risk. No lawyer can guarantee the outcome of your case. The estimated value of your case may depend on many factors, including: the strength of your legal claims, the amount of past and future wages, benefits, commissions, bonuses and other compensation you lost as a result of the termination, the emotional distress/mental anguish it caused you, how long you were employed, whether you were offered a severance package, whether the employer violated its own policies, the employer’s risk tolerance and desire to avoid adverse publicity, and how lengthy, expensive and burdensome the litigation is expected to be.

One recent study found that the average litigated employment case costs the employer $160,000 to defend and settle, and takes almost a year to resolve.¹ The overwhelming majority of cases settle without ever going to trial, and many settle without even filing a lawsuit. Pre-litigation settlements tend to be significantly lower than cases settled after the investment of time and money in litigation.

Keep in mind that litigation is very expensive, risky and time-consuming for all parties involved. An employment lawsuit may take three years or longer to get to trial, if it goes that far, and you are not guaranteed to win. In many cases, if you lose, you will be required to pay the employer’s costs associated with the lawsuit, such as filing fees, court reporter fees and duplication expenses, which can be substantial. Even when large verdicts are awarded by juries, they may be reduced by a judge or settled for much lower amounts in an effort to avoid an appeal. Further, many employment cases are subject to “caps,” based on the size of the company, which require the judge to reduce awards that exceed the cap amount.

The Georgia wrongful termination lawyers at Fidlon Legal will explore alternatives to litigation in an effort to avoid the costs, risks and uncertainty of a lawsuit. If you believe you may have been wrongfully terminated, please contact the Georgia wrongful discharge attorneys at Fidlon Legal for an initial case evaluation.

¹ The 2017 Hiscox Guide to Employee Lawsuits, https://www.hiscox.com/documents/2017-Hiscox-Guide-to-Employee-Lawsuits.pdf.