Deshaun Watson Faces Multiple Suits Over Sexual Assault
Deshaun Watson was facing three lawsuits related to sexual misconduct. He is now facing four more bringing the total to seven. The Houston lawyer representing all of the victims claims that there are two more claims that will be filed against Watson. The attorney said that he will also be in contact with police to provide them with victim statements related to the assaults in question. The NFL too has initiated an investigation against Watson. The news could leave the Texans without compensation for one of the league’s premier quarterbacks. The Texans appeared hopeful that they could move Watson to another team after the disgruntled quarterback appeared upset at how the team handled the new coaching hire.
What’s Next?
The situation is not good and may involve multiple defendants. While Watson is the primary culprit, at least some of the assaults happened at massage parlors. In these cases, the women may also be able to file lawsuits against their employers for failing to adequately protect them from aggressive customers.
Watson was defiant concerning the allegations. He took to Twitter to reject a “baseless” six-figure settlement. It’s unclear if the settlement was related to one victim or all seven who are named in lawsuits. If it’s the latter, there would be plenty of reason for concern that this lawsuit was just a hitjob on Watson. A settlement compensating seven to nine victims of sexual assault should look more like $10 million. Instead of six figures, it would be closer to eight. So if the attorney was requesting six figures for 7 clients, there’s a problem with the quality of the case. However, we won’t know specifically what the plaintiffs have until more of the matter is settled.
What Does a Civil Rape Suit Look Like?
The defendant is always in a position where they don’t want the information to make it to the press. Even in cases where the allegations aren’t true, the defendant may be pressured to settle the allegations. Once the attorney has announced the allegations to the press, the defendant can settle the suit, but now it looks like he’s guilty. So once the allegations are out there, the chance of a settlement is low. However, the plaintiff’s attorney can hold back details that are even more damning to pressure the defendant into a settlement. In any event, the plaintiff’s attorney should not announce that they are seeking a six-figure settlement for seven clients stemming from rape allegations. It’s not clear that Watson’s camp didn’t divulge that information themselves.
In either case, silence is what the plaintiff pays for. With that off the table, Watson can dig in and defend himself from the charges. His case will place the attorney who has filed these suits on behalf of 7 litigants and 9 victims on trial, questioning his motives for filing the case.
Talk to a Houston Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you’ve been assaulted in a place that you believed you were safe, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the establishment where you were attacked. Call the Houston personal injury lawyers at Livingston & Flowers today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.
Resource:
espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31093471/four-more-lawsuits-filed-houston-texans-qb-deshaun-watson-bringing-total-7
