Non-economic damages are abstract emotional and mental concepts like distress, suffering, shame, humiliation, depression, and so on.
If you’re approaching a sexual harassment lawsuit in Santa Clarita, you may have heard the term “settlement.” But what does this actually mean? Why is a settlement so important, and how can this benefit you in the long run? A settlement is perhaps best described as the “end goal” of a harassment lawsuit in California. It provides employees with a sense of justice and closure while ensuring that guilty employers experience consequences.
If you’d like to learn more about how settlements work in sexual harassment lawsuits, get in touch with a qualified, experienced attorney. During your consultation, your attorney can explain all of these details in a clear, concise manner. Remember, you don’t have to be a legal expert to successfully file a lawsuit and win a settlement. All you need to do is team up with someone who knows what they’re doing.
Settlements Explained
Sexual harassment lawsuits are civil cases, not criminal cases. This means that the guilty party will not face criminal charges or consequences like jail time. However, they will face financial penalties if you win your lawsuit. This means that they will be forced to pay you a certain amount of money that represents all of the losses they have caused you. These losses are also known as “damages.”
How Do Settlements Work in Sexual Harassment Lawsuits?
Your settlement amount will depend on your total damages. Damages are divided into two categories:
- Economic Damages
- Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages are easy to quantify because they represent real, tangible dollar amounts. For example, your boss might have fired you for reporting instances of sexual harassment. As a result, you might have missed weeks or months of work as you tried to search for a new job. Or perhaps you were demoted because you reported sexual harassment, resulting in a much lower wage. Maybe your sexual harassment left you with lasting psychological trauma, requiring you to spend thousands on psychiatric therapy. Your settlement can compensate you for all of these economic damages.
You also need to consider your non-economic damages, as these represent a considerable portion of your settlement. Non-economic damages are abstract emotional and mental concepts like distress, suffering, shame, humiliation, depression, and so on. It goes without saying that a sexual harassment victim can suffer from these ailments, and you can certainly be compensated for these damages in your settlement.
Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today
If you’ve been searching for a qualified, experienced sexual harassment attorney in Santa Clarita, there are many legal professionals ready and willing to assist you. Get help from one of these lawyers, and you can work towards your settlement in a confident, efficient manner. Remember, the statute of limitations may prevent you from taking legal action if you wait too long, so it’s best to act quickly. Book your consultation today.
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