Personal Injury Attorney in Washington, D.C.

Knowing how to settle work-related disputes requires you to learn about the most common types of disagreements in the workplace. The one factor that ties the following common types of work-related disputes is you guess it: Money.

Wrongful Termination

Unless you signed an employment contract, you most likely work under an at-will relationship. This means you and your employer can end the professional relationship at any time, for almost any reason. The key phrase is “for almost any reason.” Your employer cannot fire you by violating any of the employment laws on the books at the state and federal levels. For example, your employer cannot fire you as retaliation for your role as a whistleblower for the federal government.

Wages

If your employer underpays you, state and federal laws grant you the right to file a claim seeking back pay. American workers are entitled to a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. However, many states have passed legislation that has established higher minimum wages. Some employers try to cheat workers out of income by paying the federal minimum wage when the state requires a higher minimum wage threshold. You also qualify for overtime pay when you work more than 40 hours during a workweek. Some states require employers to pay overtime to workers that put in more than eight hours in a single day.

Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against workers for several reasons. For example, your employer cannot discriminate against you because of your race, gender, religion, and national origin. The types of discriminatory acts implemented by unethical employers include denying promotions, paying less money, and unwarranted disciplinary actions. You must follow the process created by your state to settle a discrimination claim, as well as if you decide to file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Sexual Harassment

As a common form of discrimination, sexual harassment can cause a wide variety of emotional issues that can lead to a decrease in income. Verbal abuse and unwanted sexual advances put a worker in a difficult position because many cases of sexual harassment come down to the version told by each of the parties. Working with an employment law attorney at Morgan & Morgan helps you gather and organize the evidence you need to prove a sexual harassment claim. We also interview witnesses to boost your credibility.

Severance Agreements

Some employers offer workers that resign from their positions compensation in exchange for signing a non-compete and/or non-disclosure agreement. Severance agreements often end up in litigation because one party accuses the other party of not following the terms of an agreement. An employment lawyer who specializes in business contract litigation represents the best option for legal counsel when dealing with a severance agreement.

Your case might not require litigation. Maybe your employer agrees to resolve your claim without going to court or your attorney negotiates a favorable settlement. Knowing how to settle work-related disputes also can involve going through the alternative dispute resolution process.

Mediation

Managed by a neutral third party, mediation relies on the cooperation of both parties to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Both parties make every decision required during the process, while the mediator guides them towards reaching a settlement. Mediators must have a thorough understanding of the needs and interests of each party to provide the strongest support for facilitating an agreement. Hiring an employment law attorney who has experience with mediation can help you avoid a costly and time-consuming legal battle.

Arbitration

Both parties relinquish control over an arbitration hearing. Unlike mediation, arbitration does not involve cooperation between both parties. It is an adversarial process that determines a winner and a loser. A third party reviews the facts of the case before issuing a decision that declares the winner of the arbitration process. Although the rules are less formal than for a civil lawsuit, they are more strict for arbitration than they are for mediation. You might find an arbitrator that wants to give something to both sides, but that is the exception to the general rule.

Negotiation

Negotiations do not involve the participation of a third party. You can approach a negotiation with your employer cooperatively or competitively. Your employment lawyer can recommend which approach works best for your case. Negotiations often result in positional bargaining, which is a legal term that involves each party giving something up to advance the process. You can participate in negotiations on your own, but you have a much better chance of settling your claim with the legal support of a state-licensed employment law attorney.

The EEOC offers workers the opportunity to resolve a claim by not filing a lawsuit. You contact the EEOC to request an interview and after the EEOC agrees to review your claim, you then file a signed statement that alleges your employer violated one or more federal employment laws. Every law enforced by the EEOC besides the Equal Pay Act requires you to file a signed statement with the federal agency before you can initiate a civil lawsuit.

You can file your signed statement through the EEOC public portal. The EEOC public portal asks a few questions to confirm the EEOC represents the right federal agency to process your claim. Although the EEOC recommends you participate in an interview at one of the field offices, you might have to participate in an interview over the phone because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowing how to settle work-related disputes requires you to understand how a commercial arbitration service can help expedite your claim. Several commercial arbitration services, such as the American Arbitration Association (AAA), provide different forms of dispute resolution services. Commercial arbitration dispute resolution services establish rules that determine how the organizations select neutral third parties. This can be advantageous for you because it ensures you have an unbiased mediator or arbitrator hearing your case.

Confer with your employment lawyer before deciding whether to turn to a commercial arbitration service.

Learning how to settle work-related disputes requires the legal support of an experienced employment lawyer. The question is not should you hire an employment law attorney to settle a work-related dispute. Instead, the question is what qualifications should you look for in the best lawyer.

Experience With Your Type of Case

Yes, it is crucial that you hire legal counsel that specializes in employment law. However, you should ask all lawyers under consideration if they have handled your type of employment law case. For example, if your employer paid you less than what you deserve, you want to hire an attorney who specializes in litigating wage dispute claims.

Responsive Communication

Knowing how to settle a work-related dispute requires responsive communication between you and your employment law attorney. You can expect your lawyer to have other clients, but you want the attorney to be available to answer questions and address concerns in a timely manner. Your lawyer should return emails and phone calls within 24 hours, as well as keep you updated on any status changes for your case.

Has Your Best Interest in Mind

During the free case evaluation, the lawyer sitting across from you will ask, “What do you want to get out of this?” Maybe you simply want a resolution that minimizes any damage done to the professional relationship you have developed with your employer. On the other hand, maybe you want to file a lawsuit that seeks a considerable amount of monetary damages. Your legal counsel works for you, not the other way around.

Handles Your Case From Start to Finish

Some lawyers claim to handle a case from start to finish, only to delegate some, most, or all of the legal responsibilities to support staff. You want to work with an employment law attorney who supports you from day one. Working with the same legal counsel throughout the entire process helps you build a strong professional relationship, as well as ensures the legal counsel for the other party is familiar with your legal representation.

Knowing how to settle work-related disputes can save you a considerable amount of time and money, as well as the frustration that often accompanies a high-stress work environment. At Morgan & Morgan, our goal is to get you the results that you want. Whether you want to mediate your case or take it to court, our team of employment lawyers is here to provide you with unwavering legal support.

To settle a work-related dispute, you must act with a sense of urgency to meet every deadline for filing paperwork. Act with a sense of urgency today by scheduling a free case evaluation with Morgan & Morgan.

A personal injury attorney in Washington, D.C., should be one of the first people you contact after living through a serious accident. You may have not yet realized the full scope of your injuries or what you need to consider in fighting for your future, but a Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyer may be essential for helping you to recover compensation. Laws recently changed in the District of Columbia with regard to contributory negligence. In the past, if you were found to be even partly responsible for the incident that caused your injuries, you were not able to recover compensation in a personal injury claim. However, updates in this law may no longer apply to bicycle, pedestrian, car, and other similar accident claims. 

Now, so long as you were not more than 50% at fault for the accident altogether, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. Washington, D.C., has undergone serious updates to their negligence laws in recent years, which can make self-representation especially dangerous. Insurance carriers and liable parties may have strong legal defenses on their side and may work as hard as possible to deny any responsibility. You need a Washington, D.C., personal injury attorney who can help you craft the strongest possible claim as well as avoid complications.

Each personal injury case is unique and will have a variety of different types of damages available. You need to consult with a personal injury law firm in Washington, D.C., as soon as possible to preserve the integrity of your evidence and your overall claim. Your lawyer will sit down with you to discuss possible damages based on how your life has been changed by the incident. 

This can include disability, medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage, emotional distress, reduced quality of life, and more. Working with a qualified attorney may be your only opportunity to tell your side of the story and to recover the funds that you need to put your life back together. You do not have to proceed on your own without the support of a personal injury attorney in Washington, D.C. After an accident, your life can change dramatically. Even if you recover as much as your doctor says you're able to do so, you may not ever be fully recovered from the accident. If you're dealing with financial debt because you can't go back to work, stress, and mounting medical bills, you should not be responsible for handling these.

In many cases, you may not realize the full scope of your injuries in the associated damages until you've had the opportunity to work with a qualified lawyer. You might have begun to initially total some of your medical expenses, but do not realize how this lost time at work and also future medical expenses figure into the equation. It can be challenging to negotiate with an insurance company on your own when you're not familiar with these details. You may even be tempted to accept a settlement amount that does not fully compensate you for your injuries, and once you accept that, it is too late for you to go back and request more money. This is why it is helpful to have the attorneys of Morgan & Morgan on your side from the moment you decide to file a lawsuit. 

You will need to file a civil action in order to hold someone else responsible for the injuries you sustained in an accident. You should always do this with the guidance of an experienced and qualified personal injury lawyer in Washington, D.C. Your lawyer will help you to file a complaint form with the clerk and to complete a summons for every defendant named on the complaint. If you're seeking to cover damages that are in excess of $10,000, the civil actions branch of the District of Columbia courts must approve that decision.

Once the insurance company has been notified about your intention to move forward with a legal claim, your attorney will handle all of the aspects of your case. This can be very helpful so that you do not have to worry about filing deadlines, paperwork, and communication with the insurance company. Instead this falls to your lawyer so that you can remain focused on getting better. It is likely that you may not ever fully recover from a serious accident that prompted you to contact a personal injury lawyer in Washington, D.C. This is why you need an attorney who has been down this path before who can help to calculate a fair amount of compensation considering how your life has previously been impacted and will continue to be affected in the future. 

Each state and Washington, D.C., has strict time limits in which you must file a lawsuit or waive your right to recover compensation. The court will not hear your case regardless of the strength of your claim and the establishment of liability if you exceed the statute of limitations. This is the time period in which you must file a claim in civil court. The statute of limitations in D.C. is three years and it starts on the date of the incident or the accident that led to your injury or condition. However, there are separate rules that apply if you are filing a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a loved one who was killed. If your loved one passed away in a fatal accident you will have two years from the date of the incident to file a wrongful death lawsuit per D.C. code 16-2702. Only certain parties are eligible to pursue wrongful death claims, including a surviving spouse, children, the personal representative handling the deceased's estate administration, or other parties in certain cases. 

There is no average settlement amount that may apply to your personal injury claim as there are many different factors that can influence your ability to recover compensation.

The vast majority of personal injury lawsuits do not go to court. Instead, they are negotiated in settlement conversations outside of court. If you find yourself dealing with the consequences of a personal injury lawsuit, you need to share your concerns with a qualified attorney as soon as possible. A dedicated personal injury lawyer will be able to piece together all of the different facets of your personal injury claim and can help you to understand the many ways that this will influence your future and whether or not a settlement offer presented to you is indeed fair. People who do not have appropriate representation, such as those not working with attorneys from Morgan & Morgan may be tempted to take the cash settlement offer and move forward with their life. Bear in mind that if you accept a settlement offer, you waive your right to pursue additional compensation. Car accident liability is very complicated, and it is very important to work with a law firm that has the right track record in pursuing compensation and helping victims with the complexity of their claims.

You deserve to have members of your legal team who are fully committed to doing everything possible on your behalf. Your attorney should be willing to sit down with you outside of a case and discuss what a win looks like for you. This may be closing out the case as quickly as possible and settlement negotiations, or you may wish to pursue compensation through a trial if necessary. It is important that your legal team have experience with both aspects of these kinds of claims, so that you are fully prepared no matter which route your case takes. 

To take your first step toward compensation, contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.