The appellate court affirmed the trial court's decision limiting the discharged attorney's recovery to $351.32 (33.3% of the single payment actually received by the credit union), rejecting his claim for quantum meruit based on hours worked at an hourly rate.
What This Ruling Means
# Doellman v. MidFirst Credit Union
## What Happened
An attorney who worked for MidFirst Credit Union was discharged from his job. He sued the credit union for breach of contract, claiming he was owed money for the work he performed. The attorney argued he should be paid based on the hours he worked at his hourly rate.
## What the Court Decided
The appeals court sided with the credit union. The court limited the attorney's recovery to just $351.32—only one-third of a single payment the credit union had actually received. The court rejected his request for full payment based on his hourly work rate.
## Why This Matters for Workers
This case shows that employees who are fired may face significant limits on what they can recover, even when they believe they performed valuable work. Rather than getting paid for all hours worked, courts sometimes award only a portion of funds received. Workers in similar situations should understand that winning a breach of contract case doesn't guarantee full compensation for work performed. Consulting an employment attorney early is important to understand your rights and potential recovery options.
This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.
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