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TheLawFacts

Legal costs and timelines, in plain numbers. Not a law firm.

The protected lines

What Actually Qualifies as Wrongful Termination

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

At-will employment means most firings, even unfair ones, are legal. Wrongful means a protected line was crossed: discrimination over protected traits, retaliation for protected activity (complaints, whistleblowing, leave), contract breach, or refusing illegality.

If a line was crossed

Typical settled payouts run $40,000 to $75,000 (EEOC-data median $30,000 to $50,000), over 18 to 36 months; the rare 1% to 2% that reach juries often exceed $200,000. Back to Wrongful Termination.

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Sources for every figure on this page