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.