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Claim Type

Wrongful Termination Cases

3,027 employment law court rulings from public federal records (1964–2026)

3,027
Total Rulings
27%
Plaintiff Win Rate

731 of 2671 adjudicated opinions ended in a plaintiff win.

$1,633,051
Avg Damages Awarded (324 prevailing cases)
S.D.N.Y.
Top Court

About Wrongful Termination Claims

Wrongful termination claims arise when an employee is fired in violation of federal or state law, public policy, or an employment contract. While most employment is at-will, employers cannot terminate employees for illegal reasons such as discrimination, retaliation, or exercising legal rights. These cases examine whether the stated reason for termination was pretextual.

Case Outcomes

Defendant Win
1346 (44%)
Plaintiff Win
731 (24%)
Mixed Result
353 (12%)
Dismissed
241 (8%)
Remanded
239 (8%)
Settlement
117 (4%)

Top Employers in Wrongful Termination Cases

Employers most frequently appearing in wrongful termination rulings.

Union Pacific Railroad Company
47 wrongful termination rulings
United States Postal Service
15 wrongful termination rulings
Abbott Laboratories
11 wrongful termination rulings
Union Pacific Railroad
9 wrongful termination rulings
Board of Education of the City of Chicago
8 wrongful termination rulings

Court Rulings (3,027)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Goodyear Aerospace Corporation
9th CircuitApr 7, 1987California
Mixed Result
Schafer
IdahoSep 22, 1986
Plaintiff Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Randolph
N.D. Ill.Apr 18, 1986Illinois
Defendant Win
Lary E. Grimes v. Department of the Army, Merit Systems Protection Board Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Veterans Administration
6th CircuitMar 20, 1986Michigan
Defendant Win
Villarreal v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
8th CircuitMay 21, 1985Missouri
Defendant Win
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. CHRYSLER CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellant
6th CircuitJul 18, 1984
Plaintiff Win
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Appellant, v. CORRY JAMESTOWN CORP.
3rd CircuitOct 17, 1983Pennsylvania
Remanded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Consolidated Edison Co.
S.D.N.Y.Feb 22, 1983New York
Settlement$3,500,000 awarded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. St. Joseph Paper Co.
W.D. Tenn.Feb 18, 1983Tennessee
Plaintiff Win
Samuel T. ROBINO, Appellant, v. Eleanor Holmes NORTON, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Appellee
8th CircuitJul 2, 1982Missouri
Defendant Win
Giles
E.D. Mo.Sep 3, 1981Missouri
Mixed Result
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Bay Shipbuilding Corp.
E.D. Wis.Dec 19, 1979Wisconsin
Defendant Win
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Federal Reserve Bank
W.D. Tenn.Oct 31, 1979Tennessee
Mixed Result
Food Store Employees
U.S. Supreme CourtMay 20, 1974West Virginia
Defendant Win
Planting
IdahoJun 27, 1973Idaho
Plaintiff Win
Dr. N. Jay ROGERS Et Al., Petitioners-Appellees, v. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Respondent-Appellant
5th CircuitJan 31, 1972Texas
Plaintiff Win
Washington Aluminum
U.S. Supreme CourtMay 28, 1962Maryland
Plaintiff Win
Walton Mfg
U.S. Supreme CourtApr 9, 1962
Remanded
Mastro Plastics Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtJun 11, 1956New York
Plaintiff Win
Electrical Workers
U.S. Supreme CourtDec 14, 1953North Carolina
Defendant Win
Roberts
Unknown CourtJun 19, 1951California

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco and from an order transferring action to the Municipal Court of San Francisco. Preston Devine, Judge. Affirmed. Action for damages for wrongful discharge of railroad employee, and for declaration of rights under a…

Defendant Win
Universal Camera Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtFeb 26, 1951New York
Remanded
Republic Aviation Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtApr 23, 1945New York
Plaintiff Win
Southport Petroleum Co. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtFeb 16, 1942Texas
Plaintiff Win
Republic Steel Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtNov 12, 1940
Mixed Result
Con Ed v. NLRB
U.S. Supreme CourtDec 5, 1938New York
Mixed Result
Associated Press v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtApr 12, 1937New York
Plaintiff Win

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Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of claim types is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.