Wrongful Termination PA:
Know your Rights

Get trusted legal support from experienced Pittsburgh employment lawyers at The Lacy Employment Law Firm. We specialize in employment law, including wrongful termination and discrimination cases, ensuring your rights are protected.

Wrongful Termination PA

The Lacy Employment Law Firm provides services for employees in wrongful termination cases. We bring cases of wrongful termination throughout Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania employers can fire you for any reason that isn’t illegal. Wrongful termination occurs when an employee is terminated because of his or her protected characteristics or in violation of other employment laws.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Wrongful Termination Lawyers

Wrongful termination lawyers protect you when your company fires you for an illegal reason. In addition to anti-discrimination laws, this includes violations of:

Contract law/employment agreement
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Invasion of Privacy
Fraud and Misrepresentation
Negligent Hiring, Supervision, or Training
Defamation
Violated Public Policy

Pennsylvania wrongful termination laws, coupled with other employment legislation, provide an avenue for you to recover your lost wages and other damages should your company wrongfully end your employment.

We have a track record of taking high-profile cases against both public and private employers. These cases are challenging because companies fight tooth and nail and are represented by the largest law firms, which hire ivy-league educated attorneys.

We created this law firm, however, to even the playing field. Although we fight for workers, we first got our training from working behind enemy lines. By doing so, we understand how these corporate law firms and Fortune 500 companies think.

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What Type of Lawyer is Used for a Wrongful Termination Lawsuit?

For a wrongful termination case, you will need a wrongful termination lawyer. A wrongful termination lawyer is an employment attorney that focuses on cases in which an employee was wrongfully terminated.

A wrongful termination lawyer is essentially the same thing as an employment attorney. An employment lawyer is a lawyer who practices in all facets of employment law. These are all terms that can be used interchangeably when asking to speak to a lawyer about your case against your former employer.

For example, you might have an issue with your medical leave, sexual harassment, a workers compensation claim, or other civil rights violations.

Yet, if you weren’t fired, it’s not technically wrongful termination.

For all intents and purposes, all you need to know is that you should call an employment lawyer if you think you have a case.

Can you Sue for Wrongful Termination in Pennsylvania?

You can sue for wrongful termination in Pennsylvania. There are numerous federal and state laws that protect you from an illegal firing.

Employment in the United States is “at will.” This means that your company can fire you for any non-illegal reason. An illegal reason is one that violates an employment law, such as discrimination based on protected statuts.

If your company terminated you for an illegal reason, we refer to this as wrongful termination. Contrary to popular belief, your employer does not necessarily have to follow the policies set forth in its employee handbook. Absent discriminatory reasons, a company can fire you for any reason.

It may seem counterintuitive, but your best protection against wrongful termination in Pennsylvania is federal law. It provides the broadest protections under its statutes.

Wrongful termination is the violation of employment law that ends in your company firing you. It might be a violation of statutes or other state laws.

So, how do federal statutes protect you against wrongful termination in Pennsylvania? Back in the 1960s, Congress passed a series of statutes to protect employees in the workplace.

You may be familiar with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation.

Specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, commonly referred to as Title VII, protects workers and job applicants from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

These protections apply to you throughout the country, including in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and throughout Pennsylvania.

You can absolutely sue for wrongful termination and you should contact a wrongful termination lawyer if you suspect that you have been fired. Also, you can consult with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”).

The EEOC is a federal agency that investigates employment violations.

What are Wrongful Termination Examples?

Even though your employer can fire you for any reason, you have protections under the law. Your attorneys can further advise you on how these statutes protect you and your rights under the statutes.

After Title VII, Congress quickly passed other federal laws prohibiting employment legislation.

These include:

The Age Employment in Discrimination Act of 1967
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
The American with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

Together, these statutes provide protection from termination based on:

Ethnicity
Age
Disability
Marital status
Pregnancy
Genetic information

If your employer wrongfully terminated you for any of these reasons, you can bring a wrongful termination lawsuit in PA.

There are also other laws that protect you against wrongful termination. Your employer cannot do the following under Pennsylvania law:

Retaliate after an employee blows the whistle
Breach an employment contract/employment agreement
Fire you for taking military leave for military service
Fire you for reporting illegal activity
Fire you for reporting a safety violation to OHSA
Terminate you for filing a workers compensation claim

Is it Hard to Prove Wrongful Termination?

Lawsuits under wrongful termination laws are challenging. These cases typically involve circumstantial evidence. This means that the attorney pieces together multiple sources of evidence to make the case.

It’s not common that you find a “smoking gun” where your supervisor admits that he terminated you because of your race, religion, gender, etc.

This does not mean you shouldn’t bring a case. An experienced wrongful termination lawyer can help you navigate the issues and help you establish a strong case.

Fortunately, most cases end in settlement. So, even if you cannot necessarily prove your case at trial, you still can walk away with a great outcome.

And your former employer will not get away with it.

Philadelphia Wrongful Termination Lawyers

Pennsylvania courts differ across the state. Philadelphia wrongful termination lawyers practice law in the federal court in Philadelphia County. Pennsylvania and New Jersey employment lawyers aggressively litigate lawsuits there in what is called a “rocket docket.”

A rocket docket means that the lawsuit will proceed at a very fast speed once it starts. This means that your lawyer will only have so much time to aggressively acquire the evidence that he or she needs to make your case. Lawyers who are not used to practicing in Philadelphia, PA, often make mistakes because they do not understand that Philadelphia practice is fast and aggressive.

The Lacy Employment Law Firm is co-headquartered in Philadelphia. We understand the differences between practicing here and in other parts of the state and country. And we will not make the ultimate mistake of Philadelphia lawyer practice, complacency.

Conclusion: Contact an Employment Attorney

Pensnylvania wrongful termination law combines employment statutes with state law claims. As you can see, there are lots of different claims that you may have in any given employment case.

You need an attorney that is well-versed in all areas that could apply to your case. The more claims that you can bring, the better shot you have at recovering.

The Lacy Employment Law Firm is here to help. We have experience in wrongful termination claims. We also take no fee unless we can recover on your claims.

If you are in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or anywhere in Pennsylvania, we have a wrongful termination attorney that can help.

Are you going to bring your wrongful termination lawsuit to federal court and recover damages?

Let us help you win the damages you deserve.

The provided information is not legal advice. It is general information that does not form an attorney client relationship. For specific legal advice protected by attorney client privilege, contact us for a free consultation.

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We take many cases on a contingency basis—so you don’t pay unless we win. Reach out and let’s see what’s possible for your situation.

Wrongful Termination PA:
Know your Rights