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Employment Law Firm in Los Angeles
Average Wrongful Termination Settlement Amounts In California Changing the Balance of Power between Employers & Hard Working Individuals

Average Wrongful Termination Settlement Amounts In California

Representing Clients Throughout California

In California, a person who has been terminated from their job for either a discriminatory reason, for exercising certain legal rights, or terminated in violation of an employment agreement may have a claim for wrongful termination.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 19 million firings or layoffs that occur, on average, each year.

Additionally, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) found that there were 84,254 job discrimination charges in the U.S. in 2017. In the 2017 fiscal year, there were 5,423 employment discrimination charges (some including multiple forms of discrimination) filed in California.

If you believe you have a wrongful termination case against your former employer, you may be entitled to compensation. Compensation for wrongful termination cases includes money for compensatory damages, which are designed to make you whole again. These include economic losses and compensation for emotional pain and suffering. Awards for emotional distress caused by wrongful termination are discretionary. Some juries have awarded some claimants no money for emotional distress, while other juries have awarded millions of dollars for emotional harm caused by wrongful termination.

In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded when the behavior of the company is particularly egregious. The amount of compensation awarded in a wrongful termination case varies and depends on the facts of each individual case, including the length of unemployment after termination, the emotional harm suffered, whether the employee has treated for emotional distress caused by wrongful termination, whether the employee has been diagnosed with any sort of psychological disability or condition (such as depression or anxiety caused by wrongful termination), whether the termination was in retaliation for “whistleblowing” or opposing unlawful discrimination, or due to discrimination based on a disability or other protected characteristic (like age or race), or whether sexual or other types of harassment occurred.

According to https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/labor-employment-law/wrongful-termination/wrongful-termination-how-much-can-i-expect-in-compensation.html, the average amount of compensation awarded in settlements varies widely, but some wrongful termination cases settle for as low as $5,000 to $80,000 (or more), with the average settlement being roughly $40,000.

Examples of our verdicts and settlements on wrongful termination cases can be seen on the Feldman Browne, APC “Verdicts and Settlements” page. Our results are much higher than the nationwide average on similar cases, with some cases our clients received settlements for $1,000,000 or more.

Filing a lawsuit often results in a higher settlement, with an average of about $34,000 in settlement for cases that were not filed and an average of $46,000 in cases that had been filed.

Our team at Feldman Browne, APC has had great success with our wrongful termination settlements. Our firm settles typically cases for amounts that are many times higher than the reported averages and has achieved settlements on wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment claims of at least $1,000,000 on more than 40 different cases. However, your results may vary based on factors unique to your case. The results achieved on any particular case does not guarantee a specific result in any other case. As indicated in our Results page, we obtain a wide range of results for our clients depending on a variety of factors in each case. Contact our Los Angeles-Based law office for a consultation regarding your potential workplace retaliation settlement and learn more about how much your claim for wrongful termination may be worth.


Serving clients in California. Call (310) 984-1415 now or contact Feldman Browne, APC online to schedule a free consultation about your case.


Average Retaliation Case Settlement Amounts

It is illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for doing something that is legally protected; for example, reporting a case of sexual harassment in the workplace. Retaliation is quickly rising as the most common filed complaint for workplace discrimination, with nearly 49% of all Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filings in 2017.

If you were wrongfully terminated due to your employer retaliating against you for whistleblowing or complaining of or opposing discrimination, harassment or retaliation, you may be entitled to compensation. As with other wrongful termination cases, the amount of money your case is worth varies widely and depends on a lot on the particular facts of your case. In the fiscal year 2017, 192 million dollars were paid out for retaliation-based charges filed with the EEOC. According to https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/1-25-18.cfm, there were 84,254 workplace discrimination charges filed nationwide during 2017.

Most retaliation cases are settled before the matter proceeds to litigation. Our firm typically settles such cases for amounts that are many times higher than the reported averages and has achieved settlements on wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment claims of at least $1,000,000 on more than 40 different cases.

Retaliation settlement amounts may vary since the facts of each case can be quite different. We do not guarantee any particular settlement amount will be achieved as results vary depending on a variety of factors including your employer’s willingness to negotiate in good faith and pay a fair amount or a jury’s determination of fair compensation for your losses.

Case Settlement Amount FAQs

Can you tell me how much my case is worth?

While we may be able to give you an assessment of your case after meeting with you and learning the facts of your case, we cannot make any promises of what your settlement might ultimately be. This is because there are many variables in workplace discrimination cases. The ultimate settlement in your case will depend on the facts, as well as how litigious your employer is and how willing they are to negotiate a fair settlement that you are happy with.

After looking up employment discrimination cases online, it seems like they all settle for $1,000,000 or more. Is that what I will be getting for my case?

We have handled a number of employment discrimination cases that resulted in settlements of $1,000,000 or more; however, this is not always the case. Many cases settle for significantly lower amounts for various reasons, including the nature and extent of the employee’s injuries, the length of your employment when fired, the duration of unemployment after termination, the egregiousness or severity of the harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination and any psychological harm or disability suffered as a result of the harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination. Our firm will always fight for your right to fair compensation and work to get you a result you are happy with. Though we have achieved settlement sums of $1,000,000 or more for many clients, your result may be more or less depending on the facts of your case and other circumstances.

Do I have to settle my case if I am not happy with the settlement offer?

No, you do not have to settle your case if you are not happy with the settlement offer on the table. When it comes time for you to make this decision, our attorneys will meet with you and discuss your options in detail so that you can feel comfortable with the choice you make, whether it is to settle for your former employer’s final offer or whether you choose to proceed to trial on your case.


We represent clients across California! Contact us now to get more answers to your questions.


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