Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuits In Los Angeles

Did your employer treat you poorly because of your pregnancy, pregnancy-related illness, or for taking family leave? You might have a pregnancy discrimination claim! If you are looking for a Los Angeles pregnancy discrimination attorney, look no further than Setareh Law Group. We have a team of expert pregnancy discrimination lawyers who can help guide you through the complex litigation process to ensure you receive justice and due compensation for the pregnancy discrimination you faced.

What Is Pregnancy Discrimination in Los Angeles?

Pregnancy discrimination is a form of sex discrimination and is therefore illegal under both state and federal law.  A Los Angeles employer who denies equal opportunities to pregnant employees is violating the law.  This could manifest in a variety of employer actions; here’s a brief description of a few common adverse employment actions:

  • Denying a promotion or refusing to hire: If an employer makes a decision not to promote an employee, or not to hire a potential candidate because of the candidate’s pregnancy, that is illegal.
  • Demotion: Demoting and/or reducing an employee’s pay because she discloses pregnancy is an unlawful employment practice.
  • Prohibiting use of maternity leave: The California Family Rights Act guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave without affecting one’s job.  A Los Angeles employer who does not allow an employee to her legally allowed maternity leave is engaging in pregnancy discrimination.
  • Denying sick leave: If a pregnant person needs to take sick leave for a pregnancy-related illness, but their employer does not allow that leave, it could give rise to a pregnancy discrimination claim.
  • Terminating an employee: If an employer discharges a pregnant employeebecause of her pregnancy, a wrongful termination suit based on pregnancy discrimination is an appropriate response.

What Can You Do if You Faced Pregnancy Discrimination in Los Angeles?

The Setareh Law Group attorneys’ expertise in employment law helps them navigate clients’ pregnancy discrimination claims. For example, a client who was denied maternity leave and additional sick leave due to pregnancy complications can seek Setareh Law Group’s services. Our pregnancy discrimination attorneys can use their knowledge of the California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”) which mandates unpaid maternity leave, as well as their knowledge of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) which prohibits disability and sex discrimination, to maximize the recovery for the client.

If you have experienced pregnancy discrimination in Los Angeles, your first step should be to call the Setareh Law Group for a free consultation about your situation. We’ll start the process with a short survey from our Los Angeles intake specialist who will gather the basic facts of your case and review them with an expert attorney to determine the possible claims to pursue in your pregnancy discrimination case. After this, we’ll have you sign our retainer agreement which lets you pay us nothing out of pocket – we only receive money if we recover for you!

Next, Setareh Law Group will begin its investigation process. During that time, we collect a detailed incident report form the client and gather documentation from the client and former employer. This helps us avoid surprises during litigation and ensure we can build the strongest pregnancy discrimination cases for our clients. Once the litigation process begins, after our investigation reveals enough information to file a complaint in Los Angeles County Court, our pregnancy discrimination lawyers work diligently toward due compensation for our clients, keeping them apprised of case developments along the way.

What Remedies Will We Seek?

The outcome requested in any particular Los Angeles pregnancy discrimination case depends on the facts at issue, as well as the client’s personal goals. Some clients’ main focus is being reinstated at work (or correcting whatever other adverse action the employer took), while others have moved on from that employer and are looking for compensation for the hardship they endured because of the pregnancy discrimination. Often, clients are looking for a combination of those remedies. When seeking monetary relief, we usually seek (1) emotional distress damages, (2) economic damages, (3) punitive damages, and (4) attorney’s fees.

Emotional distress damages are exactly what they sound like: money to pay for the emotional toll the pregnancy discrimination had on you and your life. A jury would determine these damages by taking into consideration the egregiousness of the pregnancy discrimination and the lasting impacts it has had on your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Economic damages include lost wages (both past and future). For example, if you made $60,000 annually before you disclosed your pregnancy, and the disclosure resulted in a demotion and decreased pay to $50,000 annually, you may be entitled to back pay for that $10,000 difference over time.
Punitive damages are additional money the employer would have to pay to deter it and other companies from continuing the same patterns of pregnancy discrimination. The amount of punitive damages awarded is usually decided by a jury if the case goes to trial.

Attorney’s fees cover the price of the work Setareh Law Group pregnancy discrimination lawyers put into the case. Requesting these fees means they will come out of the employer’s pocket as recourse for causing the pregnancy discrimination lawsuit.