The honest test

Can I Sue My Employer?

Every figure sourced and dated. Updated 2026-09-01.

You can sue when the employer crossed a legal line, not merely an unfair one: discrimination over a protected trait, retaliation for protected activity, unpaid wages, or contract breach. When those lines are crossed, the numbers are real: median individual discrimination settlements run $30,000 to $50,000 and wage suits average $40,000.

The realistic path

Expect 18 to 36 months; only 1% to 2% of cases see trial, where awards often exceed $200,000. Back to Employment Law.

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Sources for every figure on this page

$30,000 to $50,000: EEOC data via Vasquez Law 2026: median individual discrimination settlement (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
$40,000: Nakase Law 2026: average unpaid-wage lawsuit settlement (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
18 to 36 months: Feher Law 2026: typical employment case, filing to resolution (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
1% to 2%: Feher Law 2026: share of EEOC cases that reach trial (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
$200,000: Feher Law 2026: jury awards at trial often exceed this before appeals (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).