Torrance Employment Lawyers Representing Firefighters
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$2 Billion
in Personal Injury Results
$150 Million
in Employment Law Results
for First Responders
Strong advocacy for firefighters who courageously protect Torrance from fires to buildings and land
Firefighters come to the rescue of residential owners, commercial property owners, and the public to extinguish fires and manage dangerous chemicals. They risk burns, smoke inhalation, and their lives to protect Torrance. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, our attorneys work to protect firefighters in return. Our Torrance employment lawyers file discrimination and harassment claims when fire departments judge firefighters on their personal background and identity traits instead of their job performance. We also file retaliation, wrongful termination, compensation, and other types of employment claims. Our team has 35 years of experience fighting for first responders. Call us today to protect your future.
Our firefighter employment successes include:
$3 Million
in a retaliation case. Our lawyers secured this sum for six firefighters who disclosed a dangerous and unlawful “Operation Catch-Up” fire department program.
$2.75 Million
in another retaliation case. Our attorneys obtained this amount for a fire department employee who disclosed potential grant fraud and abuse.
$1.5 Million
in a discrimination, harassment, and retaliation case. Our Torrance employment lawyers helped two firefighters obtain this amount of compensation when their employer violated the California Fair Employment Housing Act.
$1.5 Million
for a municipal fire agency worker when a disabled worker was forced to accept an administrative job (even though he had completed his rehabilitation after an injury), was harassed, and ultimately forced to resign due to his disability and workplace restrictions.
Quick Questions
- What types of employment claims do you handle for firefighters in Torrance?
- What are the grounds for filing a discrimination claim in Torrance?
- What are the grounds for filing a harassment claim in Torrance?
- What are the grounds for filing a retaliation claim in Torrance?
- What laws protect firefighters in California?
- How much is my employment claim worth in Torrance?
- Do you have a Torrance firefighter employment lawyer near me?
What types of employment claims do you handle for firefighters in Torrance?
The accomplished employment lawyers at McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP hold fire departments accountable for violating the rights of their employees, contractors, and volunteers. Our Torrance employment attorneys represent firefighters and their support staff in the following types of employment claims:
- Discrimination and harassment claims. We file these claims if you are a member of a protected class and a fire department negatively affects your employment or makes working intolerable because you belong to a protected class.
- Retaliation claims. Our lawyers hold employers accountable if they punish or discipline you because you file an employment claim or help another worker with their employment claim.
- Wage and hour claims. We demand the firefighters be paid on time according to their employment agreements and any relevant employment laws.
- Executive compensation claims. Our Torrance employment lawyers hold fire departments and any other responsible governmental entities accountable for the terms of your employment contract, including your salary, insurance benefits, retirement benefits, severance pay, and other workplace benefits.
- Qui tam/whistleblower claim. Our lawyers help employees receive compensation for disclosing fraud and file retaliation claims when employers retaliate because an employee discloses an employer’s fraudulent conduct.
- Wrongful termination claims. We seek reinstatement of your job and/or compensation for all your financial damages if your employer fires you in violation of federal laws, California laws, or any written employment contracts.
- Other employment claims.
What are the grounds for filing a discrimination claim in Torrance?
Firefighters can file a discrimination claim against the City of Torrance Fire Department if they are a member of a protected class and the City of Torrance Fire Department adversely affects their employment.
Protected class
The California Fair Housing and Employment Act and many federal laws create protected classes based on the following personal characteristics:
- Ancestry or origin
- Race or color
- Sex, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression
- Genetic information or medical condition
- Physical or mental disability
- Religion or creed
- Marital status
- Military or veteran status
Adverse employment conditions
Torrance employers can adversely affect your employment by:
- Firing you
- Denying you a promotion or a raise you deserve
- Suspending you
- Reducing your pay
- Not providing disabled and pregnant workers with reasonable workplace accommodations
- Harassing you or failing to stop harassment by others
- Refusing to evaluate your job application
- Failing to provide the training and education you need to perform your job
What are the grounds for filing a harassment claim in Torrance?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the California Fair Housing and Employment Act (CFEHA) prohibit employers from harassing or tolerating harassment of their employees, independent contractors, and volunteers. You can file a harassment claim even if the harasser is harassing someone else. You can also file a claim if your employer fails to develop and implement harassment prevention policies and procedures.
Harassment of firefighters is dangerous because firefighters need to rely on each other. Harassment becomes illegal if you belong to a protected class and a fire department harasses you in one of the following ways:
Hostile workplace harassment
A hostile workplace harassment claim occurs when the harassment becomes abusive, offensive, or intimidating. Examples of a hostile workplace environment include offensive jokes, messages, conversations, and images. Any abusive physical contact would also qualify.
Sexual harassment that creates a hostile workplace environment includes sexual advances, photos, videos, messages, and nonconsensual sexual consent.
Quid pro quo harassment
Quid pro quo harassment happens when an employer or supervisor conditions your employment on sexual advances or sexual favors.
What are the grounds for filing a retaliation claim in Torrance?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we hold employers accountable if they try to punish firefighters for asserting their rights or supporting another worker’s rights. You have the right to:
- File a discrimination or harassment claim
- File a qui tam/whistleblower claim
- File a workers’ compensation claim
- Request family medical leave
- Request reasonable workplace accommodations due to a disability or if you are pregnant
What laws protect firefighters in California?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, the following employment laws protect firefighters, police officers, and other first responders:
California law
- California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
- The California False Claims Act
- California Family Rights Act
Federal employment laws
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- The Equal Pay Act of 1963
- Family Medical Leave Act
- Federal False Claims Act
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- The Trauma Treatment Act
- The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
How much is my employment claim worth in Torrance?
We demand that fire departments pay the following compensation (past and future) when they violate your rights, depending on the type of claim you have:
- Wages, overtime, and bonuses
- Executive compensation benefits and severance pay
- Health insurance coverage
- Seniority benefits
- Pension and other retirement benefits
- Emotional suffering and damage to your professional reputation
- Statutory damages
- Attorney fees and court costs
- Punitive damages for wanton and malicious conduct
We also seek court orders that direct your employer to reinstate you and provide other employment remedies.
Do you have a Torrance firefighter employment lawyer near me?
McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP meets with firefighters and their support staff at our office located at 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400, Los Angeles, 90024. We also discuss cases remotely by phone and through online conversations.
We’re here to explain your rights and fight for all the compensation you deserve.
Speak with our Torrance firefighter employment attorneys now
With fires increasing for many reasons, skilled firefighters are more essential than ever. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we have earned the admiration and respect of former employees and California lawyers for our dedication to our clients and our impressive record of results. Call our Torrance firefighter employment lawyers or fill out our contact form today to schedule a free consultation. We are ready to fight for your employment rights now.
Some of the fire departments we are suing or have sued include:
- Berkeley Fire/CoB (Non LEO)
- Los Angeles Fire Department