Practice Areas Employment Law Wrongful Termination

Experienced Maryland Wrongful Termination Lawyer to Fight for Your Rights

If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated by your employer for one of the reasons previously mentioned, an experienced Maryland wrongful termination lawyer at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. stands ready to represent you and to stand up for you against your former employer.

We work with our clients on a case-by-case basis to ensure that they get full compensation for the damages that they suffered as a result of being wrongfully discharged by their employer.

Wrongful Termination by Maryland Employers

The term ‘wrongful termination’ is slightly misleading. Maryland, just like other states and the District of Columbia, is an at-will work state. This means a Maryland employee can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. Maryland employees work at the will of their employers. In an at-will state, an employee can leave his or her job for any reason and at any time.

If you are an employee and you believe you have been terminated for disclosing your employer’s fraud to a governmental agency, then you may have a claim for wrongful discharge.  Many state and federal laws, such as the Whistleblower Protection Act, shield employees from retaliation by their employer for making such a disclosure.

Claims Handled by Our Maryland Wrongful Termination Lawyers

“Wrongful termination” is an umbrella term that encompasses many types of illegal behavior by employers. Most wrongful termination claims can be broken down into one of several broad categories, listed below.

Breach of Implied Contract

Even though most employment relationships are at will, these types of relationships can still be subject to several judicially-imposed “implied” contracts. For example, if your employer verbally represented to you that he or she would need your services for a period of at least three years but then dismisses you after two years, a court may find that your employer’s statement created an implied contract and that your dismissal was a breach of that contract.

Discrimination

Various federal and state laws prohibit discrimination on a number of grounds, such as race, ethnicity, age, disability, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. If your employer dismisses you because you fit into one of these protected classes — for example, if you overhear your employer say that you are too old and should be replaced with someone younger and more attractive — your termination likely was discriminatory.

Harassment

Federal and state laws also prohibit harassment in the workplace, which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines as “unwelcome verbal or physical behavior that is based on race, color, religion, sex, gender/gender identity, national identity, physical or mental disability, or genetic information.” A very common example of wrongful termination based on harassment involves employers firing employees who rebuff their sexual advances.

Violation of Public Policy

As noted above, Maryland law allows wrongful termination claims when the firing was based on a clear violation of public policy. Some examples of employee terminations that could violate public policy include:

• Employees who refuse to work in an unsafe environment
• Employees who refuse to commit or assist in the commission of illegal activity
• Employees who are absent from work for jury duty or military service
• Employees who demand overtime pay when it is legally required

These types of wrongful termination claims can be particularly tricky to pursue, however. If you suspect that your termination may have been in violation of public policy, you should consult a Maryland wrongful termination lawyer.

Termination as a Form of Retaliation

Wrongful terminations due to retaliation occurs when an employer fires an employee for participating in legally protected behavior, such as whistleblowing, reporting regulatory violations, or opposing discriminatory practices, among others. For example, if your employer fires you because you assisted in an investigation of alleged workplace discrimination, you may have a wrongful termination claim.

Evidence of Wrongful Termination

Direct evidence of wrongful termination (e.g., your employer actually telling you that you are being fired because they would like someone of a different race to fill your position) is fairly rare.

Instead, you likely will need to rely on circumstantial evidence to prove your claim. A few signs that your termination may have been wrongful include:

• You are a member of a protected class and are qualified for your position, but the person who replaced you is not a member of a protected class
• Your dismissal occurred shortly after you engaged in a protected activity (e.g., filed a discrimination claim, refused to participate in illegal activity, revealed a disability, etc.)
• Your dismissal occurred after you rejected your employer’s sexual advances
• Your employer routinely made disparaging remarks about a protected class to which you belong
• Your employer intentionally made your work environment unpleasant before you were dismissed
• Your performance evaluations suddenly declined without a corresponding decline in the quality of your work product
• Your dismissal occurred after you voiced concerns about unethical or illegal employment practices (e.g., sexual harassment, failure to pay overtime, paying women less than men in the same position, etc.)

For more information about the evidence required to prove wrongful termination, contact a Maryland wrongful termination lawyer by filling out our online form or by calling us at (410) 514‑6099.

Damages Available in Wrongful Termination Claim

Damages, or the money awarded in a successful wrongful termination claim, depend on many factors like lost wages. Each wrongful termination claim is unique. So, one fired employee can seek more or fewer damages than another terminated employee.

The damages available in a general wrongful termination claim include, but are not limited to:

• Full back pay
• Emotional distress
• Possible reinstatement of the employee’s job

Each case is different and damages vary greatly based on the employee’s circumstances. Consulting with an employment lawyer is the best way to make sense of your claim.

How a Maryland Wrongful Termination Lawyer Can Help You

We work with our clients on a case-by-case basis to ensure that they get full compensation for the damages that they suffered as a result of being wrongfully discharged by their employer.  Our wrongful termination lawyers pursue damages for back pay, as well as damages for the emotional distress that our clients have suffered as a result of being wrongfully terminated from their job.  Likewise, we also assist our clients in obtaining reinstatement to their job, if that is their objective.

Working with an experienced Maryland wrongful termination lawyer at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. is simple, confidential and efficient. We thoroughly review your options and the law and then put together a comprehensive strategy to achieve your goals.  Maryland wrongful termination attorney Jamaal (“Jay”) W. Stafford is an experienced litigator and is no stranger to the courtroom.  He brings to bear his litigation experience and employment law expertise to craft creative solutions for each of his clients.  You can contact the firm by sending us a message via our website or by calling us at 410-514-6099. Call us today and let us fight for you.

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