Legal Question in Workers Comp in District of Columbia

case

hello, a few months ago my workplace had a happy hour and my boss invited me and coworkers out for drinks at 430 (we close at 5). he and the other manager were drinking heavily like usual and forcing me and my coworkers to drink a lot too. he had been extremely flirty with me and the other girls and made lewd comments since i began working there 9months before. the night of the party i left and he followed me home and forced his way into the door and had sex with me. i was horrified and devestated and went to the hospital and never went back to work. no rape kit or toxicology was done but i think i was possibly drugged. the boss quit the next day when i reported it to hr. i have a lawyer and we issued statements, the company wrote back that they dont think i have a case and that i have to return to work or they will stop paying me. my lawyer wants to file suit. is there possibility for settlement still? do i have a case? what should i do?


Asked on 9/12/07, 3:30 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: case

Sure, if you were raped, or drugged and then raped, you would have a basis for both criminal as well as civil charges---against the boss perpetrator. However, the company itself(as oppossed to the boss perpetrator) would appear to have no civil responsibity for what happened after the work day ended on the day of the incident which you've described. (Of course, if you were the victim of ongoing sexual harassment by this boss perpetrator while you were at work, then the company could possibly be civilly liable for that.)

However, since at this point there appears to be substantial doubt regarding the company's liability for anything which has occurred, I doubt that they would agree to any settlement(unless it's for sexual harassment would occurred while you were on the job), but, even that would seem unlikely until there are more facts established which would make that particular case.

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Answered on 9/13/07, 7:05 am


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