Texas worker representation. Statute by statute, industry by industry, role by role.
The firm represents Texas workers in whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, race discrimination, sexual harassment, and workers’ compensation retaliation matters. Coverage organized along three axes — the statutory framework that applies, the industry the worker is in, and (for healthcare) the specific role. Each page is the firm’s most thorough resource on that specific question.
Statutory frameworks.
Every protected-activity case begins with the statute. Each page below covers a specific federal or Texas statute — the elements, the deadlines, the burden-shifting framework, the available damages, and how the firm handles cases under that statute. Frameworks are organized federal first (whistleblower statutes administered by OSHA, qui tam, federal contractor), then Texas state.
Sarbanes-Oxley § 806 protection for employees of publicly traded companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, contractors, and subcontractors who report securities fraud, mail/wire/bank fraud, or SEC violations.
SEC whistleblower awards (10-30% of sanctions over $1M) + anti-retaliation. 6-year statute of limitations. Direct-to-court whistleblower complaints permitted.
FCA qui tam relator awards (15-30% of recovery) + anti-retaliation under § 3730(h). Federal fraud against government programs including Medicare and Medicaid.
Federal Rail Safety Act protection for railroad workers who report safety violations or refuse unsafe work. Murray v. UBS (2024) contributing-factor framework.
Surface Transportation Assistance Act protection for commercial truck drivers who report hours-of-service violations, unsafe vehicles, or refuse unsafe driving.
Federal contractor and grantee employee whistleblower with uncapped compensatory damages. 3-year statute of limitations. Applies across all federal contracts and grants.
Maritime worker protections — Jones Act seaman remedies for unseaworthiness and negligence + Seaman’s Protection Act anti-retaliation framework.
Sabine Pilot Serv. v. Hauck, 687 S.W.2d 733 (Tex. 1985). The Texas common-law exception to at-will employment for workers fired solely for refusing to violate criminal law.
Texas Labor Code § 451 protection for workers fired or retaliated against for filing workers’ compensation claims. The firm’s anchor practice — Ball verdict + Salas + XL Specialty framework.
Texas long-term care worker retaliation protection. Covers nursing homes, assisted living, ICF/IID facilities. Broad employee definition includes consultants and contractors.
Hospital and health-related employee retaliation. 60-day rebuttable presumption framework. SJ Medical Center v. Anozie applied EFAA to this statute.
Healthcare retaliation protection for non-employee reporters — independent contractors, consultant physicians, contract pharmacists, and other clinical professionals not technically employed by the facility.
Tex. Occ. Code § 301.413 nurse safe harbor and good-faith reporting protections. Direct protection for nurses who report unsafe practice or refuse to violate professional standards.
Texas Family Code § 261.110 protection for any person required by law to report suspected child abuse who suffers retaliation. Often applied alongside § 260A.014 for children’s facility staff.
Texas state qui tam framework for Medicaid fraud reporting. Mirrors the federal FCA with Texas-specific procedural overlays. Relator awards plus anti-retaliation.
EFAA arbitration voiding (Anozie framework) + § 21.055 protected-activity standard under Hous. Methodist San Jacinto Hosp. v. Ford, 483 S.W.3d 588.
42 U.S.C. § 1981, Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA), and Title VII race discrimination and retaliation framework. The firm’s race discrimination practice on this site.
Industry & worker identity.
Workers in Texas industries face common patterns of retaliation, common employers, and common statutory frameworks. Each industry page below organizes the relevant statutes around the realities of that specific workforce — how retaliation manifests, what statutes apply, what the documentation patterns look like, and which case law matters most for that worker identity.
Texas oilfield, refining, petrochemical, and pipeline worker retaliation. Tex. § 451 + Sabine Pilot + SOX § 806 (public-company operators) + FCA qui tam (federal lease fraud).
Maritime worker rights under Jones Act, Seaman’s Protection Act, and Texas state frameworks. Offshore platform crews, vessel crews, port workers.
FRSA railroad worker safety reporting protection. Union Pacific, BNSF, Kansas City Southern, short-line operators. Tex. § 451 + FELA personal injury coordination.
STAA truck driver whistleblower protection — hours-of-service reports, vehicle safety reports, refusal to drive unsafe equipment. Tex. § 451 + Sabine Pilot.
Texas construction worker retaliation. Tex. § 451 (workers’ comp), Sabine Pilot (refusal to violate OSHA), and federal contractor protections for federally funded projects.
Texas manufacturing and industrial worker retaliation. Tex. § 451, Sabine Pilot, SOX § 806 (public-company employers), TSCA, environmental whistleblower frameworks.
Tech and IT worker retaliation. SOX § 806 (public-company employers), Dodd-Frank SEC whistleblower (cybersecurity disclosure), FCA qui tam (federal cybersecurity contracts).
Financial services whistleblower. SOX § 806, Dodd-Frank SEC whistleblower, CFTC whistleblower, AML/BSA reporting, banking compliance retaliation.
Federal contractor and grantee employee whistleblower under NDAA § 4712 — defense, aerospace, federally funded health and social services, federally funded research, and grant-funded programs.
Texas Whistleblower Act (Ch. 554) for state and local government employees. Newberne v. NC DPS framework. 90-day filing deadline. Sovereign immunity overlay.
Healthcare roles.
Healthcare retaliation cases turn on the worker’s specific role — what they were licensed to report, what their job duties were, what they observed, and what statute applies. Each role page below covers the doctrinal framework specific to that healthcare role, with cross-references to the relevant Texas statutes (§ 161.134, § 260A.014, § 301 Nurse Practice Act, § 261.110) and federal frameworks (FCA qui tam, NDAA § 4712 for federally funded facilities).
The firm’s overall framework for Texas healthcare retaliation matters — the operative statutes, the burden-shifting frameworks, the EFAA arbitration overlay, the substantive defenses, and the relationship to peer review, BON proceedings, and license defense. Start here for healthcare retaliation context, then go deeper into specific role pages below.
Texas RN, LVN retaliation. Tex. Occ. Code § 301.413 safe harbor, Tex. H&S Code § 161.134, BON complaint defense when retaliatory.
Texas physician retaliation. Peer review framework (In re Memorial Hermann), § 161.134, EFAA arbitration voiding, hospital privileges.
APRN, PA, CRNA, midwife retaliation. Hybrid framework — nursing-license overlay (§ 301) + physician-style supervision relationships + § 161.134.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. § 161.134 + § 260A.014 (LTC pharmacy) + 22 TAC Chapter 291. Production-metrics retaliation patterns in chain pharmacy.
Counselors, therapists, social workers, behavioral health technicians. § 161.134, § 261.110 (child abuse reporting), § 260A.014 (residential treatment facilities).
Healthcare and child welfare social workers. § 261.110 child abuse reporting protections, § 260A.014 long-term care, § 161.134 hospital settings.
Certified nursing assistants and certified medication aides. § 260A.014 long-term care (primary), § 161.134 hospital settings, § 261.110 for caregivers of minors.
Hospital and facility administrators, directors, compliance officers, executives. SOX § 806 (public-company hospitals), § 161.134, FCA qui tam, restructuring-defense doctrine.
Healthcare housekeeping and environmental services staff. § 260A.014 (LTC settings), § 161.134 (hospital settings) — the broad employee definitions include support staff who witness and report.
A nurse who reports patient safety issues and is then fired may simultaneously have claims under Tex. Occ. Code § 301.413, Tex. H&S Code § 161.134, Sabine Pilot, and the False Claims Act if Medicare or Medicaid fraud is involved. The firm handles the entire pattern as one matter rather than picking one statute and dropping the rest. The architecture above is for navigation; cases are evaluated holistically across every applicable framework.
Tell us what happened.
If your matter touches any of the practice areas above — or you’re not sure which framework applies — the case evaluation form is the most thorough way to start. A senior attorney typically reviews submissions within one business day.
This page is attorney advertising. The content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is created only by a signed engagement agreement between the firm and the client.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future matter. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP · 3401 Allen Parkway, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77019 · (888) 571-1001.
