Plaintiff in case was a 22-year-old woman who was sent to an alcoholic rehabilitation center for a 30-day inpatient treatment as a result of a drunk driving conviction. She alleged that while she was at the rehabilitation center, she was repeatedly sexually abused by the owner and manager of the facility, and she was broomstick raped by the vice president of a bank — who was a recovering alcoholic who provided weekend counseling sessions at the facility.

All defendants denied any misconduct whatsoever, claiming that plaintiff made everything up.

John D. Winer who was an associate of another law firm at the time performed a great deal of the workup of the case both in terms of discovery and litigation.

The law firm was able to discover evidence which tended to prove that plaintiff was in the house of the defendant vice president after he denied it (she could describe the house in detail including where his wife kept a dildo) and the records of the rehabilitation hospital were inadequate and inconsistent. Despite attacks on the plaintiff’s character, it became clear in discovery that the rehab center was poorly run by unqualified personnel.

RESULT: $750,000 settlement on behalf of plaintiff