Natalie Weatherford

Weatherford exclusively represents victims of sexual violence.

With over a dozen multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements to her name, the Taylor Ring partner knows how to protect her clients. There have been times when she’s had to step in and end a deposition after questioning went too far.

“I don’t put up with that in my practice,” she said. “If you raise your voice or look at my plaintiff funny or insinuate something you shouldn’t, I’m going to do something.”

Weatherford has more than 30 sexual abuse lawsuits pending against school districts and other institutions across the state. She recently secured a $5 million settlement in a case she’s been fighting for over two years against CRST trucking.

The litigation involved a female student truck driver for a national trucking company who was raped by her lead driver. The drivers work in pairs so one can sleep while the other continues to drive. Weatherford worked the case up to trial, which was about to start before the pandemic hit. Jane Doe v. CRST Expedited Inc., RIC1808034 (Riverside Super. Ct., filed May 4, 2018)

CRST Trucking denied any wrongdoing, insisting it performed a thorough investigation and found the claims to be unsubstantiated. Weatherford, through multiple depositions, learned the company’s investigations and response to claims of sexual assault from its employees weren’t nearly up to snuff.

“They ask this list of predetermined questions — where, when, things like that — then they call up the perpetrator and interview them by phone,” she said. “They do nothing, meaning the perpetrator is allowed to keep driving and the complaining victim has to keep working.”

Weatherford talked to others at CRST whose allegations of sexual assault went unaddressed. She said she was able to deduce “a pattern and practice by the company of trying to attract women and put them into incredibly dangerous positions and do nothing after bad things happened.”

In another case, Weatherford represents plaintiffs suing the Boys and Girls Club of America in Sonoma Valley. The suit alleges the organization employed a serial molester who targeted unprivileged children. Trial is scheduled for September. John Does 1-6 vs. Boys and Girls Club of America, SCV-263626 (Sonoma Super. Ct., filed Dec. 4, 2018).

“The defendant was so comfortable knowing that no one was watching and that he could take them off campus and no one would do anything about it,” she said.

— Winston Cho