Should I report my work injury? I don’t want to get fired!

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In Nebraska, being fired for reporting your injury is against the law.

Many Nebraskan workers that have been injured on the job have probably had similar thoughts given today’s economy. However, there are protections for injured workers from getting fired for reporting a workers’ compensation injury. In fact, if you are fired for reporting a work injury, you may be entitled to damages as a result of your termination.

Nebraska is an “at will” employment state. In other words, you may be fired for any reason unless you have an employment contract or you are fired in a discriminatory or retaliatory manner.

You may also be able to recover damages from your employer for being fired for retaliation from your employer. 

For example, most people know that you cannot be fired on the basis of: Race, Religion, Ethnicity, Disability, Age, or Gender. If you are fired for these reasons, there are Federal and State laws to allow you to sue your employer.

On the other hand, not everyone knows that you may also be able to recover damages from your employer for being fired for retaliation from your employer. For example, if you report illegal activity that your employer is engaged in, Federal and State laws protect you from being fired for reporting that activity. Similarly, Nebraska allows you to sue your employer if you are fired in retaliation for reporting an on-the-job injury.

As with any lawsuit, there is no guarantee of success when you are suing your employer for firing you after reporting a work injury. However, you should feel confident that there are protections for you to report your work injury in order to get the treatment and benefits you deserve.

The offices of Rehm, Bennett, Moore & Rehm, which also sponsors the Trucker Lawyers website, are located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Five attorneys represent plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and Social Security disability claims. The firm’s lawyers have combined experience of more than 95 years of practice representing injured workers and truck drivers in Nebraska, Iowa and other states with Nebraska and Iowa jurisdiction. The lawyers regularly represent hurt truck drivers and often sue Crete Carrier Corporation, K&B Trucking, Werner Enterprises, UPS, and FedEx. Lawyers in the firm hold licenses in Nebraska and Iowa and are active in groups such as the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (NATA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). We have the knowledge, experience and toughness to win rightful compensation for people who have been injured or mistreated.

This entry was posted in Workers' Comp Q & A, Workers' Comp' Basics, Workers' Compensation and tagged , , .

2 thoughts on “Should I report my work injury? I don’t want to get fired!

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