what type of attorney do i need when a companies employee assults me

by Julie Welch 6 min read

Can an employer be liable for an employee who assaults you?

An employee who assaults another person in the workplace may be charged with the crime of assault and also may be sued for financial damages in a civil action brought by the victim. Violence Prevention Measures. Aggression, bullying, and other forms of acting out are disruptive in the workplace, may lead to violence, and need to be addressed.

Do I need a lawyer to file a lawsuit against my employer?

Jun 28, 2021 · Lawsuits against employers almost always require legal representation. Your employer has the insurance company and their attorneys working against you. You’ll need an experienced personal injury attorney to stand up to the corporate bullies and win the compensation you’re entitled to.

Who commits workplace assaults?

Labor and Employment. Morgan & Morgan files the most employment litigation cases in the country, including those involving wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage theft, employee misclassification, defamation, retaliation, denial of leave, and executive pay disputes. The workplace should be a safe place.

Do I need a lawyer to handle employment matters?

May 08, 2011 · There are aspects to this that might merit a claim against your boss, but it depends a lot on what the laws in your state regarding suit against your employer are. You need To speak to an attorney that is familiar with personal injury and workers compensation. Report Abuse Ask a Lawyer

What do you do if you are physically assaulted at work?

The victim of a workplace assault can also do any or all of the following:Complain to their company's human resources department or a supervisor;File a police report;Apply for worker's compensation; and/or.Bring a civil lawsuit for compensatory damages against the co-worker.

Are employers liable for workplace violence?

Employers are not strictly liable for workplace violence under the OSH Act (see Secretary of Labor v. Megawest Financial, Inc., 1995 WL 383233 (June 19, 1995)) and OSHA has not issued any formal standards on workplace violence.

Can you sue for lateral violence in the workplace?

Can You Sue for Workplace Violence? Yes, you can sue for workplace violence in certain circumstances. If you are a victim of workplace violence who cannot receive workers' compensation, you can file a civil lawsuit against your employer for negligence.

What happens when an employee assaults a customer?

When Employees Attack Sometimes employees and even managers attack a customer or another employee and cause major injury. Victims suffer pain and disfigurement, along with the indignity of a public beating. Customers end up in the hospital but are left with permanent injuries that never go away and hefty medical bills.

Can I claim compensation for being assaulted at work?

If you have been assaulted at work in an incident that could have been avoided if your employer had put proper control measures in place to protect you, then your employer has acted negligently. Therefore you could be legally entitled to compensation for assault at work.Feb 18, 2022

What do you do when a coworker verbally attacks you?

OSHA's definition of workplace violence includes verbal harassment and intimidation that disrupts the worksite. Federal law gives employees the right to file a complaint with OSHA and ask for help. OSHA can be reached by calling their toll-free number 1-800-321-6742 or filling out a form on the OSHA website.

Can I sue for emotional distress?

The courts recognize emotional distress as a type of damage that can be recovered through a civil lawsuit. This means you can sue someone for emotional trauma or distress if you can provide evidence to support your claims.

Can you sue for toxic work environment?

Yes, you can sue your employer for emotional distress caused by workplace harassment, discrimination, or a toxic work environment.

What do you do when an employee threatens another employee?

If an employee threatens you with immediate physical harm, remind the employee of the ramifications of such behavior and try to talk her out of carrying out her threat. Contact law enforcement authorities if possible and, until help arrives, try to calm the employee in a manner that does not further antagonize her.

Can I sue a customer for hitting me?

If you get hit or punched by someone, you certainly do have a civil lawsuit that you can file. However depending on whether or not insurance was involved, and what your medical bills are, there may not be a large recovery.Feb 26, 2018

Can you get fired for hitting a coworker outside of work?

So if the reason for your termination is not illegal under the laws of your state, then yes, your employer can fire you for what you do on your own time, outside of work.

Does assault have to be physical?

Common assault is when a person inflicts violence on someone else or makes them think they are going to be attacked. It does not have to involve physical violence. Threatening words or a raised fist is enough for the crime to have been committed provided the victim thinks that they are about to be attacked.

What happens if your employer doesn't take reasonable actions to protect you from workplace violence?

When your employer doesn’t take reasonable actions to protect you from workplace violence, and you are injured, you may have the right to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit in addition to your workers’ comp claim.

How to notify your employer of your injury?

Notify Your Employer: As soon as you’re able, tell your employer you were injured on the job. File a Workers’ Comp Claim: Telling your employer isn’t enough. You have to file your worker’s comp claim before your state’s deadline. Your employer should give you a claim form and instructions.

What happens after an assault at work?

Protect your rights after an assault at work. In addition to workers’ comp, your employer and the attacker may be liable for your damages.

What is the fourth category of workplace violence?

Personal relationships. The fourth category of workplace violence, personal relationships, almost always targets women. When you’ve been violently injured on the job, you have a right to expect compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and more.

What happens if your boyfriend punches you in the nose?

If your boyfriend’s ex unexpectedly shows up at the department store where you work and punches you in the nose, your employer is probably not liable for your injuries. The employer could not know that someone with a personal grudge would show up at your workplace.

What is the duty of care of an employer?

Employers have a legal duty of care to provide a safe work environment and to protect their employees from undue harm and physical injury. A safe work environment means you should not be subjected to violence from your employer or anyone else.

Can an employer be sued for workplace violence?

Employer Liability for Workplace Violence. In most cases, the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance covers on-the-job injuries. Under certain conditions, an injured employee can claim workers’ comp benefits and file a lawsuit against their employer to seek additional compensation.

What happens if you violate your duty of care?

If they violate this duty of care, they may be liable for civil damages when an employee is assaulted or sexually assaulted by a co-worker. A lawsuit against the employer for a workplace assault is just one option.

What happens if you violate the Colorado recording law?

Employers have a duty of care to provide a safe work environment for their employees. If they violate this duty of care, they may be liable for civil damages when an employee is assaulted or sexually assaulted by a co-worker.

What is the duty of care in CA?

AB 2327 requires CA police agencies to review officer history before hiring. Employers have a duty of care to provide a safe work environment for their employees. If they violate this duty of care, they may be liable for civil damages when an employee is assaulted or sexually assaulted by a co-worker.

Can an employer be held liable for assault?

There are two situations in which an employer can be held liable for a coworker assault: The employer knew or should have known that the employee was a risk to others; or. The employer is legally liable because the employee was just doing his or her job. Let’s take a closer look at each of these situations. 7.1.

What is civil lawsuit?

A civil lawsuit, on the other hand, is focused on the victim. It is about making the victim as whole as possible. The victim is a party. This means that the victim gets to decide how far to take a lawsuit and whether to settle out of court.

Can you sue an employer for assault?

A lawsuit against the employer for a workplace assault is just one option. The victim of a workplace assault can also do any or all of the following: Complain to their company’s human resources department or a supervisor; File a police report; Apply for worker’s compensation; and/or.

What is the difference between civil and criminal justice?

The criminal justice system is focused on the perpetrator. It is about determining guilt and appropriate criminal punishment. The D.A. brings the action and decides whether to pursue charges and whether to let the perpetrator cut a deal. A civil lawsuit, on the other hand, is focused on the victim.

What are the forms of unfair labor practices?

Unfair and discriminatory labor practices against employees can take many forms, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, refusal to give a reasonable accommodation, denial of leave, employer retaliation, and wage and hour violations.

What is workplace harassment?

When workers are subjected to slurs, assaults, threats, ridicule, offensive jokes, unwelcome sexual advances, or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, it can be considered workplace harassment. Similar to workplace discrimination, workplace harassment creates a hostile and abusive work environment.

What is wrongful termination?

This is termed wrongful termination, wrongful discharge, or wrongful dismissal. There are many scenarios that may be grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit, including: Firing an employee out of retaliation. Discrimination.

What are some examples of misclassifications?

Some examples of misclassifications include: Misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor to not have to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission laws, which prevent employment discrimination.

What is FMLA in healthcare?

Under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employers must offer unpaid leave time to employees with a qualifying family or individual medical situation, such as leave for the birth or adoption of a baby or leave to care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition.

What is defamation in the workplace?

Defamation is generally defined as the act of damaging the reputation of a person through slanderous (spoken) or libelous (written) comments. When defamation occurs in the workplace, it has the potential to harm team morale, create alienation, or even cause long-term damage to a worker’s career prospects.

What does it mean when an employee is forced to tolerate sexual harassment?

For example, an employee may be forced to tolerate sexual harassment from a manager as a condition of their continued employment.

What is battery in law?

Heres the definition: A battery is any intentional, unlawful and harmful contact by one person with the person of another. . . . A harmful contact, intentionally done is the essence of a battery. A contact is unlawful if it is unconsented to. (Ashcraft v.

Can I file a police report for my boss?

He is liable to you for your injury, and has probably committed criminal assault as well. If you have not already done so, you may want to file a police report. Further, as an injury in the workplace, you are almost certainly entitled to workers' compensation benefits to cover your medical treatment. Depending on the structure of the company and your desired present and future relationship with your boss and the company, you may want to consider how far you want to go with this. If you and your boss are likely to remain employed together and with the same relationship, criminal prosecution or civil suit is likely to aggravate the already existing workplace problems. Depending on your analysis of this situation, you may wish to pursue only the workers' compensation aspect, but you may still want to file a police report to preserve all your options. It may be a good idea to consult with a lawyer as to the particulars of your situation and discuss each of these options.