It is important to properly screen all potential employees. This can help business owners avoid possible future issues caused by problematic workers in California. However, there may be times when a business ends up hiring a problematic employee despite proper screening. This can easily result in a business litigation lawsuit if the worker ends up proving to be violent.
One ski park company and its owner have recently faced this situation following a violent incident involving one of its employees in May 2014. The incident happened when four men, who were renting cabins at the park, were allegedly assaulted by three employees of the ski park. A fight broke out after the employees yelled at the men for using a waterslide, which had been off-limits.
Two of the men renting the cabins had suffered serious injuries. One man ended up with a broken jaw and nose. He also had a contusion on his chest, which resulted from the incident. Another man suffered a lacerated ear, which required 15 stitches, a displaced clavicle and a bite on his hand. which eventually became infected.
On the other hand, some witnesses claim that the employees were not the ones to throw the first punch and described the incident as a drunken brawl. In the ensuing criminal trial, the employees of the ski park were cleared of the assault charges. However, this did not stop the alleged victims from filing a civil lawsuit against the ski park company and the owner of the business. The trial had been set to start in the beginning of December; however, the parties ended up settling the lawsuit, while keeping the details of the settlement agreement confidential.
This case illustrates one of the worst things that could happen after a business owner hires a worker in California or any other state. However, not all civil matters can reach a settlement outside of court. In these cases, business owners will have to navigate through the business litigation process in order to protect their companies’ financial interests.
Source: wacotrib.com, “BSR Cable Park owner settles lawsuit over alleged assaults”, Tommy Witherspoon, Nov. 16, 2015
