Everyone who works inside a hospital, from highly paid surgeons to everyday maintenance and sanitation staff, should always be focused on protecting the physical and psychological well-being of patients to the fullest extent possible. Any doctor who fails to provide a reasonable standard of care to a patient may hold civil liability for injuries and losses stemming from their “malpractice”—and likewise, any hospital employee who sexually harasses, molests, or assaults a patient can be held civilly liable for ensuing damages.
Of course, filing suit over this particular kind of misconduct can be complicated on multiple levels, which is why it is so important to have an experienced sexual abuse attorney’s help. A hospital sexual abuse lawyer in Bridgeport from Berkowitz and Hana, LLC can work to ensure you are paid fairly for the mistreatment you experienced.
It may be possible to pursue a lawsuit over various forms of sexual misconduct by a hospital employee towards a patient, not all of which necessarily have to be violent acts like sexual assault or forcible sexual touching. Behavior that might constitute sexual misconduct can include, but is not limited to:
These actions and others can qualify as legally actionable sexual abuse, regardless of whether the patient is an adult or a minor. However, the practical procedures for actually filing suit can change somewhat depending on whether an act of sexual abuse in a Bridgeport hospital resulted in a physical injury requiring professional medical care or whether it only constituted “intentional infliction of emotional distress.” An experienced attorney can explain the differences here and help make the distinction in your case.
A legal professional can also help determine whether a hospital worker’s employer holds “vicarious liability” for their employee’s misconduct on the job, or whether hospital owners and administrators can be held directly liable for negligently or knowingly facilitating abuse of patients.
If an adult experiences sexual abuse inside a hospital, they are generally subject to the standard “statute of limitations” for personal injury lawsuits if they want to sue their doctor or hospital administrators over that abuse, meaning they would typically have a maximum of two years to file suit from the date on which their abuse occurred. However, there is no statutory filing deadline whatsoever for civil claims over sexual abuse if the defendant in that claim was already convicted on charges of first-degree sexual assault related to that abuse.
It is also important to note that substantially longer filing deadlines apply to claims brought forward by adults who were sexually abused before they turned 21 years old. Depending on exactly when the abuse occurred, someone who experienced this kind of mistreatment may have until their 48th birthday or until their 51st birthday to file suit. Navigating these legal deadlines can be tricky, so working with a seasoned Bridgeport hospital sexual abuse attorney is always ideal.
There is no single best course of legal action to take after being sexually abused inside a hospital, as the circumstances of your abuse and the losses you have suffered from that abuse may be very different from another person’s seemingly similar experience. No matter what, though, you will have far better chances of securing a favorable result from this sort of claim if you have help along the way from dedicated legal counsel.
A hospital sexual abuse lawyer in Bridgeport can be the ally you need to obtain the comprehensive compensation you deserve. Call today to set up your free, confidential consultation.
Berkowitz Hanna
1087 Broad St
Bridgeport CT
06604
