Can I recover punitive damages as part of my employment discrimination claim?

Yes. Under Title VII, you can recover punitive damages if you’re employed in the private sector. First, you’re going to have to prove to the court that you suffered employment discrimination. In addition to that, to receive punitive damages, you next need to prove that you suffered a particularly egregious form of discrimination. That is, your employer acted with malice or reckless indifference in how they treated you. Because ultimately punitive damages are designed to punish the employer for particularly bad forms of discrimination.

You cannot recover punitive damages in a discrimination case brought against the federal government.

Maryland Washington DC Virginia Discrimination Attorneys

Hiring a proven and effective advocate is critical to obtaining the maximum recovery in an employment discrimination case. Eric Bachman, Chair of the Firm’s Discrimination Practice, has substantial experience litigating precedent-setting individual and class action discrimination cases. His wins include a $100 million settlement in a disparate impact Title VII class action and a $16 million class action settlement against a major grocery chain. As Special Litigation Counsel in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and as lead or co-counsel in numerous jury trials, Bachman is a litigator ready to fight for you to obtain the relief that you deserve.

Bachman writes frequently on employment discrimination issues at the Glass Ceiling Discrimination Blog and has been quoted in national media about discrimination cases. U.S. News and Best Lawyers® have named Zuckerman Law a Tier 1 firm in Litigation – Labor and Employment in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Recently Washingtonian magazine named two of our attorneys top whistleblower lawyers.