As previous postings on this blog have discussed, whenever an employee who has been fired from his or her job feels he or she was wrongfully terminated, whether for discriminatory reasons, as a form of harassment, or retaliation, it is important that he or she seeks legal counsel. A California man's recent wrongful termination case is a perfect example of the compensation that may be recovered when a wrongfully discharged employee files suit against his or her former employer.
The employee that filed the lawsuit was formerly a billing supervisor at SDG&E. According to the man's case, in 2008 utility managers started telling their workers to deliver notices of account delinquency in low-income, high-density areas. The man complained to his superiors about the targeted nature of the notices, and he was subsequently fired. The former employee claimed his discharge was a form of employer retaliation for his complaints about the employer's illegal billing practices.
The employer defended its decision by stating the employee acted inappropriately at work and his conduct violated workplace policies. However, the jury in the man's case agreed that his discharge was a form of employer retaliation and they awarded him $860,000 in compensatory damages and $1.3 million in punitive damages. The company has said it will appeal the decision.
As previously stated, this case proves that when an individual has been wrongfully terminated it is important he or she stands up for his or her rights in order to obtain the compensation to which he or she is entitled in order to help him or her recover from an unfortunate and unexpected turn of events. An experienced California attorney can help these individuals navigate the legal process and put forth the best case possible.
Source: 760 KFMB, "Ex-SDG&E employee awarded $2.1M in lawsuit," Mar. 26, 2014
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