In a bizarre story, a Nashville woman has filed a lawsuit against a Taco Bell franchisee, claiming that she was kidnapped by a man following her work shift.
According to Courthousenews.com, the woman claims that she was working at the Taco Bell on 4300 Harding Road in May when a man walked up to her as she was going to her car at about 4:50 a.m.
She claims that when she saw the man coming, she attempted to walk back into the restaurant but before she could reach the door, a manager locked her out. The man then abducted her as she attempted to go back to her car.
The woman claims that the manager at Taco Bell locked himself in a walk-in cooler when he saw the situation unfolding. She said the man who abducted her then made her drive her car through the restaurant drive-thru to demand money, but nobody responded to the request.
Shortly after the drive-thru incident, police surrounded the plaintiff’s car and the man inside attempted to shoot her, according to the lawsuit, but his gun failed. The man then directed the woman to drive away, but the woman accelerated the vehicle and it landed in a nearby ditch. The man then ran away from the car.
After the incident took place, the woman says that she returned to work, showing officials with American Hospitality Corp., the owner of the restaurant, videos of the alleged kidnapping. The woman claims that she was fired a short time later.
The woman’s lawsuit was filed in a Davidson County court. It alleges assault, negligence, outrageous conduct and wrongful termination, and claims the Taco Bell franchisee did not have “reasonable steps to protect its own employees.” She is seeking $2 million in damages.
In the aftermath of the incident, police were on the lookout for the suspect. However, as of last week, it was unclear if an arrest had been made.
IT IS YOUR EMPLOYER’S DUTY TO KEEP YOU SAFE
This disturbing story bring up questions involving premises liability and negligent security. Many restaurants and retail locations that are open late have safety plans in place for workers exiting locations. Additionally, some establishments have security guards escort employees to their vehicles.
While a business may not participate directly in acts, it can help facilitate an employee assault by not having adequate safety protections. If you are ever harmed and/or suffer emotional trauma in a workplace attack, talk to our Nashville injury attorney about your legal rights.
You can contact our Nashville injury attorney now by using the live chat option located on this page or by calling the number listed above.
“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.” – Psalms 62:1