Disability Discrimination Lawyer New York City
New York and New Jersey workers have multiple federal and state protections against this kind of discrimination, but knowing your rights is key to protecting them. Not every medical condition is considered to be a disability for the purpose of discrimination protection. Working with a New York City disability discrimination lawyer can help you to understand your rights and ensure you’re protected.
In order to receive federal and state protection, the individual must be both qualified for the job in question and have a qualifying disability.
As generally defined by state and federal the law, an individual may be considered to have a disability if he/she suffers from:
• a perceived physical or cognitive condition, even if no such condition exists.
If You Feel You Have Been Exposed to Illegal Disability Discrimination in a New York City Workplace, You Are Not Alone
The EEOC works hard to protect workers and enforce those protections, but with tens-of-thousands of investigations each year, many legitimate claims are bound to fall through the cracks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), only 19.3 percent of individuals with a disability were employed in 2019. This is, in and of itself, indicative of a larger problem. If you have been discriminated against due to a disability, contact a New York City disability discrimination lawyer today.
Employee Rights and Protection Against Disability Discrimination
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects disabled employees and job applicants from discrimination in every aspect of the employment process. In addition, the ADA requires all employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment to any aspect of the employment process that alters the working environment or the way in which the job is performed.
Such accommodations may include:
- Reserved parking
- Installation of an interior wheelchair ramp, or improved accessibility in certain work areas
- Flexible work schedule
- Provision of work aids, such as tests and training materials with larger font, assistive listening devices, or voice-control software for transcription
Disability Discrimination Examples
As with all types of discrimination, disability discrimination takes many forms, and the workplace is one of the most common spaces in which it occurs. Each year, the EEOC receives tens-of-thousands of employment disability discrimination claims, many of which involve:
- Employee-Employee Harassment
- Manager-Employee Harassment
- Hostile work environments
- Employer refusal to provide reasonable accommodations
- Employment termination, demotion, or the passing over of deserved promotions
- Inappropriate job interviews or application questions
- Pre-employment medical exams
- Failure to hire qualified applicants
What To Do If You Are Being Discriminated Against Because Of a Disability In An NYC Workplace
If you believe that you are a victim of workplace disability discrimination, it is in your best interest to consult with an experienced attorney immediately. With employment discrimination cases, time is of the essence. Disability discrimination occurs with shocking frequency, but proving it can be a difficult task. As such, it is important to gather as much evidence as possible to substantiate your claim.
At Joseph & Norinsberg LLC, we will work tirelessly to build a strong case against your employer if you have been discriminated against for a disability. An NYC disability discrimination lawyer from our highly-skilled, knowledgeable legal team will investigate your case, thoroughly analyze all the details, help you gather evidence, and build a solid case against your employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of compensation are available to you as a victim of disability discrimination in NYC?
Generally speaking, an employee is entitled to receive damages for lost wages, loss of benefits (health insurance, paid-time off, pension, etc.), reasonable accommodations, emotional pain and suffering, and punitive damages.
What constitutes a disability?
As defined by the law, an individual may be considered to have a disability if he/she suffers from a:
- physical or cognitive condition that significantly limits basic functions, such as the ability to walk, hear, see, or talk;
- a history of a disability, including cancer that is currently in remission;
• a perceived physical or cognitive condition, even if no such condition exists.
What is a reasonable accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation involves changing any aspect of employment to alter the working environment or the manner in which job duties are performed. It can be anything from providing a reserved parking space and installing an assistive listening device to offering a flexible schedule or longer breaks. What is critical here is that your employer cannot ignore your request and must engage with you to determine how to accommodate your request. An employer’s failure to do so by itself could be a violation of your rights. Clear documentation of when the request was made, as well as your employer’s response to the request is pivotal in making these claims.
Contact a New York City Disability Discrimination Attorney Today
If you have been harassed or discriminated against due to a disability, a disability discrimination lawyer at Joseph & Norinsberg LLC can help. Our experienced team of employment lawyers will thoroughly analyze your case to determine the best legal strategy for moving forward. If you are a victim of employment discrimination, you have rights. Don’t go through this difficult time alone; contact a disability discrimination lawyer at Joseph & Norinsberg LLC to book a free and confidential consultation through our website today.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men and women are created equal.”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men and women are created equal.”
Our Employment Law Practice Areas
“No one is above the law,
and no one is below it.”
“No one is above the law,
and no one is below it.”
Glowing Client Reviews
I am very amazed and pleased for the wonderful work Diego Barros did for me and our co-workers, speechless to see how wonderful and constructive everything work. First time with Diego Barros and i am totally impressed to have seen how great you have worked for all of us, i will totally recommend you to anybody who is in need of help without at doubt at all in all senses.
Mr. Diego helped me WIN and reach a great settlement. Wages recovered from lack of pay and serious misconducts from employer. He was very informative and easy to talk to every step of the way. Very happy with the settlement I received. He will go for the win and get you what you deserve! If you having problems with employment I give Mr. Diego my full recommendation to get your issues resolved.
Jon and his team are amazing. They fought every step of the way for me and my family. My case was handled with such care and concern and Jon’s honesty gave me great confidence in his ability to win my case.
To have Bennitta Joseph who wins high profile cases against companies like Delta is a win for any company. The fact that they equip entrepreneurs like me with tools to compete with fortune 500 is a competitive advantage. If you are a company that deals with people and wants to succeed, hiring her is a must!
This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought. The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great. Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone. Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them. The situation I went through will help me going forward.
This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought. The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great. Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone. Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them. The situation I went through will help me going forward.
Bennitta Joseph is committed to Justice. After be wronged at work in 2015, and discriminated against I felt very hopeless and wronged. I felt as though I had no hope standing up to a corporate giant, and no chance of winning. After explaining my case and sharing the facts Bennitta felt differently. She did warn me it would be a long and tough road and that I had to have thick skin. In my experience if you take Bennitta’s lead and trust her legal experience no case it too big, or too small for her…
Me trataron muy bien y estoy satisfecho con el servicio. Inicialmente llamé para unirme a un caso anterior, pero cuando ya era demasiado tarde para unirme a ese caso, estaban felices de luchar por un segundo caso. No pensé que podrían hacer que otro caso funcionara, pero lo hicieron. Aprendí cuáles son mis derechos en cuanto a salario mínimo y tiempo extra y puedo usar esta información en el futuro. Recomiendo mucho la oficina.
New York City Employment Attorney Profiles
SOL RAMOS
Financial Administrative Assistant
CAITLIN DUFFY
Senior Litigation Counsel
CYNTHIA MENDEZ
Lead Intake Coordinator
ESTEFANIA G. LOPEX
Intake Coordinator
JAZMIN RODRIGUEZ-WILLIAMS
Senior Litigation Paralegal
RYAN C. MAHONEY
Senior Trial Counsel
NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY PROFILES
Our Successful Case Results
$10.5M
Reinoso v. New York City Transit Authority
$7.0M
Morse v. Spitzer
$2.5M
Guzman v. City of New York
$2.0M
Code v. City of New York
$1.8M
Williams v. New York City Transit
$1.5M
Dominguez v. Moskowitz, M.D.
$1.4M
Carvalho v. MonteFiore
$1.4M
Zambrano v. Sound Shore Medical Center
$1.0M
R. v. City of New York
$750K
Rivera v. 260 W. 135 LLC
$750K
Levans v. Delta Air Lines, Inc
$600K
Jacqueline Winbush v. City of New York
$500K
Minor v. City of New York
$500K
Dortch v. Montefiore Medical Center
$400K
Zomber v. Village of Garden City
$190K
Marshall v. Randall
$175K
S.A. v. City of New York