Judge Awards Massage Studio Sexual Assault Victim $19.1 Million

The Carlson Law Firm’s Associate Attorney Nick Merz attains multi-million dollar verdict for sexual assault victim

A Travis County district court judge has awarded a victim who was sexually assaulted at an Austin massage parlor $19.1 million for the damages he suffered. The award was on a default judgment against the massage parlor.

The verdict stems from an egregious sexual assault that occurred in August of 2018. The victim of the assault, a Carlson Law Firm client who wishes to not have his name published due to the nature of the case, booked a deep tissue massage at Massage Harmony on Anderson Lane. A therapist employed by Massage Harmony forcibly performed oral sex on our client. When the victim protested, he pinned the victim down and without consent or permission proceeded to perform sexual acts for his own sexual gratification.

Immediately following the assault, the victim reported the assault to Massage Harmony’s management. The company took a little over two weeks to respond to our client’s communication about the sexual assault. The response from the business was to acknowledge and apologize for the assault, refund our client for the massage session, and assured that their employee was no longer working at Massage Harmony. The business would go on to close all of its Austin locations within months after our client’s assault.

Lawyers for the victim initially requested to settle the case for $500,000 or for Massage Harmony’s insurance policy limits. However, the insurance company failed to respond to any and all attempts to settle. As a result, Carlson Law Firm associate Nick Merz filed a lawsuit against the company for damages over $1,000,000.

“We hoped the judge would be willing to send a clear message to both victims of sexual assaults, as well as local businesses,” Merz said. “For victims like our client, these assaults cause damages that have lifelong effects, and the judge clearly recognized what these types of injuries represent and their value. For businesses that are conducting themselves in a way that exposes their customers, and the public at large to this kind of harm, this verdict hopefully serves as a clear signal that that type of behavior is unacceptable, and they will be held accountable by Austin judges and juries. They have to do their due diligence to ensure they are not exposing their customers to dangerous people and other unnecessary risks.”

About The Carlson Law Firm

The Carlson Law Firm is a national injury law firm dedicated to preserving the Seventh Amendment and advocating for justice. We provide exceptional legal services to everyday people in the communities we call home. The Carlson Law Firm handles a variety of personal injury cases including sexual assaults, auto accidents, trucking crashes, motorcycle injuries, medical malpractice, defective products, nursing home neglect, offshore injuries, workplace injuries, wrongful death and much more.

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Kazia Conway
kconway@carlsonattorneys.com