An upcoming hearing will review the status of a lawsuit filed by a man who was attacked with a baseball bat by his ex-employers.

Changqian Zou is seeking damages to exceed $25,000 in a civil lawsuit resulting from the April 2016 incident. Zou is a former employee of Bubba Chang’s; a Chinese-American buffet in Genoa Township that closed after a fight in the parking lot between several ex-employees and the restaurant’s owners. After being fired, Zou and his father-in-law showed up at the restaurant to collect some personal belongings and back wages. An argument with Bubba Chang’s owners, Jeremy and Johnnie Lee Hamilton, and dishwasher Timothy Borg, turned into a physical fight that led to Zou being beat up with a baseball bat. Johnnie Hamilton’s wife Angela reportedly hid the bat after the attack. All three Hamilton’s and Borg have either entered pleas or have been sentenced on charges that resulted from the incident.

This past May, Zou filed a lawsuit against Hamilton Cedar Creek Inc., which listed the Hamilton brothers, Angela Hamilton, and Borg as the defendants. The lawsuit shows that Zou is suing due to injuries he sustained from the fight and the resulting medical bills, lost work time and income, and pain and suffering. The defendants filed counterclaims against Zou in June, alleging they have suffered pain, humiliation, lost earning capacity, lost business, and loss of society and companionship because of the incident. Zou has denied all assault, battery, concert of action, and civil conspiracy charges made against him.

A hearing in November will follow-up on the status of the lawsuit and very preliminary dates have already been set next year should the issue go to trial. (DK)