RESOLVING DISPUTES, MAXIMIZING YOUR RECOVERY
Protecting The Rights
of Employment Related Victims
An employer-employee relationship almost always involves some power disparity. An employer has the power to:
- Decide whether an applicant or candidate gets a job
- Fire workers
- Provide employees with access to training and development resources
- Protect employees from harassment and other forms of misconduct in the workplace
- Determine whether employees deserve promotions or raises
In California, a strict labor code complements federal law to ensure that employers are not permitted to abuse their powers. This is not to say that abuses never occur. On the contrary, violations of employment law are somewhat common.
Employees who have lost their jobs or been mistreated when their employers violated the law can often seek reinstatement or compensation by filing claims or lawsuits. When doing so, they should keep in mind that proving an employer has broken the law can often be very difficult without access to the proper resources.
Don’t assume this means you should not take legal action if you believe your employer has wronged you. It simply means your chances of winning your case will be much greater if you have professional assistance from legal experts who have experience handling cases like yours.
That is exactly what you will find at JML Law. Our Los Angeles employment attorneys are well equipped to offer the aggressive representation you deserve in these circumstances. We will review your case for free, answer any questions you may have about your case, and help you hold an employer accountable if it appears they have violated employment law.
If you are an employee facing an issue with your employer, the experienced & skilled attorneys at JML Law are here to help you.
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Why Choose Us?
When we get a call from a prospective client, our first consideration is, “How can we help this person?” By being in practice for over 40 years, we have developed a strong network of attorneys- many of whom started their careers with our firm. We can reach out to provide the client with an attorney who can best meet their needs. This ensures you will not be turned away without resources.
With our experience and history, we often have had encounters with both your employer and its defense counsel, which translates into increased recoveries. They know us and respect us for being tenacious representatives of our clients. They will not be able to overwhelm or intimidate us.
Our AttorneysHow We Can Help You
Employment Law Cases in California
Again, California’s Labor Code is very worker-friendly. Its various laws and provisions regarding the degree to which they prioritize workers’ rights are among the strongest in the entire country.
Unfortunately, some employers ignore the law. The following are several examples of how they may do so:
Discriminating During the Hiring Process
An employer is legally required to make hiring decisions based on the actual qualifications and merits of applicants and candidates. An employer is not permitted to consider the following types of factors when determining whether or not someone should get a job:
- Age
- Gender
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Ethnicity or national origin
- Marital status
- Race
- Disability
Regardless, employers and hiring managers are human beings. That means they may be biased against certain types of applicants. For instance, an employer may believe that older job applicants will be less likely to thrive in certain roles when compared to younger applicants. This may result in a pattern of denying jobs to candidates over a certain age.
Terminating Employees For Illegitimate Reasons
Just as employers cannot allow bias to influence their hiring decisions, they must also not let their personal preferences play a role in their decisions to terminate employees. Again, laws don’t always stop all employers from engaging in illegal behavior. Some employers fire workers for discriminatory reasons.
Of course, if an employer is accused of discrimination after terminating a worker, they almost certainly won’t admit they were in the wrong.
It’s far more likely they will fabricate why an employee was fired.
This highlights the importance of enlisting a Los Angeles employment attorney’s help when filing a claim or lawsuit against an employer you believe has broken the law.
To prove that you have a valid case, conducting a thorough investigation will often be necessary. This is a task the experts at a California employment law firm can assist you with.
Retaliating Against Employees
Both California law and federal law protect the rights of employees who may report their employers for unsafe, unethical, or illegal practices. Additionally, if law enforcement agencies or regulatory groups are already investigating a company for wrongdoing, employees should feel comfortable cooperating with investigators if they are asked to do so.
It is illegal for an employer to retaliate against any employee for being a whistleblower or cooperating with an investigation. Regardless, workplace retaliation is a consistent problem across a range of industries.
Retaliation in the workplace can take many forms. They include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following:
- Assigning whistleblowers undesirable shifts or duties
- Firing whistleblowers or demoting them
- Not giving whistleblowers promotions or raises they have earned
- Excluding whistleblowers from training sessions
- Disciplining whistleblowers more harshly than others
It is not always clear whether an employer has engaged in retaliation. If you suspect that your employer has retaliated against you for reporting them to law enforcement or regulatory agencies, review your case with the team at our California employment law firm. We will help you better understand your legal options in these circumstances.
Be aware that this is not an exhaustive list. The best way to determine if your employer’s conduct or actions qualify as violations of state or federal employment laws is to discuss these matters with professionals.
Workers’ Compensation Cases in California
California law requires nearly all employers operating in the state to purchase workers’ compensation insurance. Employees can seek financial compensation through workers’ compensation insurance for economic losses sustained due to work-related injuries or illnesses. Examples of such losses include medical bills and lost wages.
However, employees don’t always immediately receive the workers’ compensation benefits they’re eligible for when they file claims. In an attempt to minimize their financial losses, insurance companies sometimes deny claims by arguing that claimants were injured or developed medical conditions when they were off-the-clock. Even if an insurer doesn’t deny a claim entirely, their goal may be to settle for less than a claim is worth.
It’s wise to hire a lawyer when seeking workers’ compensation benefits. A California workers’ compensation attorney can assist you by:
- Investigating your accident to gather evidence showing it was work-related.
- Filing your claim so that you may focus on your recovery
- Handling all correspondence with insurance adjusters, doctors, and others who may be involved in your claim.
- Adding up your compensable losses to determine approximately how much money your claim may be worth.
- If necessary, reject an insurance company’s unreasonably low settlement offers and enter into negotiations.
Personal Injury Cases In California
At JMl Law, our California personal injury attorneys also offer representation to those who’ve been injured as a result of others’ actions or negligence.
Types of cases we handle include (but aren’t limited to) the following:
- Assaults
- Brain injuries
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Child abuse and sexual assault
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Sports injuries
- Premises liability accidents
- Product liability accidents
- Slip and falls
- Dog attacks
- Burn injuries
- Wrongful death
A California personal injury attorney can improve your chances of winning a case by:
Investigating
Pursuing compensation when you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence involves filing a claim to collect from their insurance. It may be necessary to file a lawsuit and seek damages in court if the negligent party is uninsured or their insurer won’t offer a fair settlement.
Regardless, before taking legal action, you must accurately identify the liable party and gather evidence showing you were harmed due to their negligence. This may require conducting a thorough investigation into your accident. A California personal injury lawyer has the expertise and resources to conduct such an investigation.
Accounting For Compensable Losses
When you file a worker compensation claim, you can only seek compensation for economic losses, such as medical bills. That’s not necessarily the case when you file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Along with pursuing compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other such economic losses, you may also seek compensation for non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering.
A lawyer can’t promise you will receive a specific amount of money when your case is resolved. However, they can account for all your compensable losses to prevent the insurance company from convincing you to settle for less than your claim is worth.
