A federal judge has awarded $100,000 in emotional distress damages to a former Bristol Hospital employee who claimed a surgeon, who had staff privileges to practice at the hospital, sexually assaulted her. This is a case in which employment experts said proving emotional distress itself played a big part.

“The takeaway here and the most important part of this case is the court’s analysis of the emotional distress damages for $100,000,” said Stratford-based employment attorney Gary Phelan, who wasn’t involved in the case, Henry v. Oluwole. ”Because as the judge points out in the beginning of his decision, it’s extremely hard to quantify emotional distress. I think the $100,000 was reasonable because it looked at not only the marketplace of emotional distress awards, but really focused on every element of what this plaintiff suffered in which she was able to prove.”