Plymouth Wrongful Termination Lawyer

Were you wrongfully terminated in Plymouth, MA?

At Fogelman Law LLC, we are plaintiff-focused wrongful termination lawyers preparing every case with experience and dedication.

If you were fired in Plymouth and believe the stated reason was not the real reason for your dismissal, the strength of a claim depends on what the timeline and the documents show. Employers rarely admit an unlawful motive, so the evidence has to reveal it.

Our Plymouth, MA wrongful termination lawyer compares the employer’s explanation with performance reviews, emails, and the treatment of coworkers to show when the stated reason was a pretext. Fogelman Law LLC has represented employees since 2010 and offers hourly, hybrid, and contingency fee arrangements. Contact our office for a free consultation.

Wrongful Termination Lawyer Plymouth, MA

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination received 3,553 new complaints in fiscal year 2024, a 15% increase over the prior year, according to its FY24 annual report. The settlements the agency reported that year included a $25,000 resolution for a Plymouth County employee who was denied a disability accommodation.

A wrongful termination lawyer represents employees who were fired for an unlawful reason. Massachusetts employment is generally at will, which means an employer can end the relationship for many reasons or for no stated reason at all. It cannot fire someone because of discrimination, in retaliation for protected activity, in breach of a contract, or for a reason that violates public policy. The lawyer’s work is to prove which reason actually drove the decision.

Types of Wrongful Termination Cases We Handle in Plymouth

Employees in Plymouth’s hospitals, schools, retail businesses, and town offices face many of the same unlawful firing practices seen across Massachusetts. Our wrongful termination attorneys represent workers in each of the situations below, and every case begins with a close look at the events leading up to the termination.

• Discriminatory firings. Terminations based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or pregnancy are unlawful. We compare how the employer treated you with how it treated coworkers outside your protected group.
• Retaliatory terminations. Employers may not fire someone for reporting harassment, filing a complaint, or taking part in an investigation. The time between the complaint and the firing is often the most telling evidence in these cases.
• Whistleblower terminations. Employees who report safety violations, fraud, or illegal conduct are protected against reprisal. We document what was reported, to whom, and how quickly the employer reacted.
• Medical leave terminations. Firing someone for taking protected medical or family leave, or soon after the employee returns, can violate state and federal law. Leave records and return-to-work communications help establish the connection.
• Disability accommodation failures. An employer that refuses a reasonable accommodation, or fires an employee instead of engaging in an interactive dialogue, may be liable. We review each accommodation request and the employer’s response in detail.
• Pregnancy-related firings. A termination during pregnancy or after maternity leave often signals discrimination. Our firm has tried a case of this kind to verdict.
• Public policy violations. Firing someone for refusing to break the law, serving on a jury, or exercising a legal right can support a claim. These cases depend on showing a clear link between the protected conduct and the decision.
• Breach of contract terminations. Employees with written agreements or commission plans may have claims when an employer ignores the agreement’s terms. We review the contract language and any severance offer before you sign anything.

Why Choose Fogelman Law LLC as my Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Plymouth, MA?

An Employee-Side Record in Court

Matthew Fogelman founded the firm in 2010 to represent employees and injured people, and he is a member of the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association, a group of attorneys who focus on representing workers. He prevailed before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in a groundbreaking disability discrimination case concerning an employee’s right to use medical marijuana away from work. Jeffrey Simons, who has practiced employment and personal injury law for 14 years, holds Rising Star recognition from Super Lawyers for every year from 2019 through 2025.

We have argued for employee rights before the state’s highest court and won verdicts at trial, and employers’ counsel takes that history seriously from the first letter. That experience is the foundation of our practice as an employment lawyer in Plymouth, MA.

Wrongful Termination Results

Our record of millions of dollars recovered for clients includes these termination matters:

• A $144,000 trial verdict, plus attorneys’ fees, for a woman fired after her maternity leave and the onset of postpartum depression
• A Superior Court decision affirming an arbitration award for a Boston Public Schools principal who was fired without good cause
• Reinstatement for an employee who was improperly terminated by a hotel chain
• Representation of a man fired after he complained about illegal activity within his company

What Is Important to Understand About a Wrongful Termination Case?

What Is The Wrongful Termination Case Timeline?

Many claims handled by a wrongful termination lawyer in Plymouth begin with an administrative charge rather than a lawsuit, which shapes the sequence of events that follows.

1. Review of the termination, your employment records, and any severance offer
2. A charge filed with the state commission or the federal EEOC when the claim involves discrimination or retaliation
3. Investigation and, in many cases, mediation or settlement discussions with the employer
4. A lawsuit in state or federal court once the administrative stage allows it
5. Discovery, depositions, and trial if the case does not resolve

Claims that settle during the administrative stage can conclude within months, while litigated cases often take considerably longer.

What Are Important Aspects of a Wrongful Termination Case?

Filing deadlines are the first concern in any termination case. Discrimination and retaliation claims must usually be brought within a short period after the firing, and employees can file with the MCAD in person or virtually. The EEOC’s federal retaliation protections carry their own time limits, so waiting can close off options that would otherwise be available.

Evidence matters just as much as timing. Emails, performance reviews, text messages, and notes made at the time of key events help prove wrongful termination when the employer offers a different explanation. Employees should keep copies of documents they lawfully possess and avoid taking confidential company files. Careful documentation of discrimination often makes the difference in close cases.

Employees who complain about unpaid wages are protected as well, and the Attorney General’s anti-retaliation fact sheet describes the forms of reprisal the law prohibits, from reduced hours to termination. Reports of safety or legal violations can trigger separate whistleblower protections, and being aware of what makes a strong retaliation case helps employees preserve the right evidence.

A severance agreement usually includes a release of claims, so it deserves careful review before you sign. Former employees can also apply for unemployment benefits while deciding how to proceed, and doing so does not prevent a wrongful termination claim.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Wrongful Termination Cases

Compensation that a wrongful termination lawyer can pursue may include several forms of relief:

• Back pay. Wages and benefits lost from the date of termination through the resolution of the case.
• Front pay. Future lost earnings when returning to the job is not realistic.
• Emotional distress damages. Compensation for the anxiety, humiliation, and harm the firing caused.
• Reinstatement. A return to the former position in appropriate cases.
• Attorneys’ fees and punitive damages. Available in some discrimination and retaliation claims, depending on the facts.

Liability in these cases turns on the employer’s true motive. An employer will almost always offer a lawful reason for the firing, such as performance or restructuring, so the case depends on evidence that the stated reason was a pretext. Inconsistent explanations, favorable reviews shortly before the firing, and better treatment of similarly situated coworkers can all show that the real reason was unlawful. Even a layoff or restructuring can be wrongful when it targets an employee for an unlawful reason.

What Should You Bring to Your Wrongful Termination Consultation?

These documents help us assess the claim at the first meeting:

• Your termination letter or notes of what you were told
• Performance reviews, commendations, and disciplinary records
• Emails or messages related to any complaints you made
• Any severance agreement or offer you received
• Pay stubs, your offer letter, and any employment contract

In a free consultation, a wrongful termination attorney reviews these materials and explains whether the facts point to an unlawful reason. Some firings are unfair but legal, and if that is true in your situation, we will tell you. Many people are also unsure what type of lawyer handles a termination dispute, and the meeting answers that question as well. If a severance offer carries a signing deadline, schedule the consultation before that date.

Reach Out to Fogelman Law LLC to Schedule a Consultation

Severance offers often come with a short window to sign, and some deadlines for discrimination and retaliation claims are shorter than people expect. A free consultation lets you understand your options before either deadline passes, and we offer hourly, hybrid, and contingency fee arrangements depending on the claim. Our phone line is staffed 24 hours a day, so you can reach us whenever the question comes up. Contact us to talk with a Plymouth wrongful termination attorney.