Overview

Medical Professionals Abuse Lawyers: Holding Healthcare Providers and Doctors Accountable for Sexual Abuse

Seeing a doctor or medical professional should never result in a negative experience, but for some patients, an exam can develop into abuse by a trusted provider.

Types of Doctor Sexual Misconduct

Sexual misconduct in medical settings can take many forms, including, but not limited to:

Physical assault
Sexual assault
Harassment or other forms of unwanted advances
Abuse of personally identifying information, such as phone numbers or physical addresses

Medical providers of various roles and seniority can abuse patients, including, but not limited to:

Doctors/Physicians
Specialized doctors such as OB/GYNs, surgeons and others
Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Registered Nurses and Nurses
Medical techs

Abuse can also occur in a variety of different medical settings, including, but not limited to:

Hospitals
Urgent or Intermediate care clinics
Emergency Rooms or Departments
Medical offices
Phlebotomy and lab work centers
Physical Therapy or other therapy centers/offices

Misconduct can fall into what patients believe is a grey area due to a lack of public education about what to expect - and not expect - during an exam and cultural pressures. Stat News uses the example of University of Southern California campus gynecologist George Tyndal, who abused hundreds of patients in part because some were “unsure if they were violated due to the complex nature of medical care and an unfortunate culture where women and girls often question themselves.”

Victims of medical professional sexual abuse can include individuals from various demographics:

Female patients are more than 2.5 times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse at medical practices or during medical treatment than male patients, according to the National Institute of Health.
Most patients impacted by medical provider sexual misconduct are under the age of 60.
Children are also victims of medical provider sexual abuse, but the rate of survivors in the general population is unknown. Offenders often groom not only the patient but also their parents, as seen in the Larry Nassar, Johnnie Barto and Earl Bradley mass sexual misconduct and abuse cases.

Legal Recourses for Victims

Victims of physician sexual abuse can pursue justice in multiple ways, including, but not limited to:

Contacting law enforcement to seek criminal charges against the perpetrator of the sexual abuse.
Filing a civil lawsuit with a personal injury firm to potentially obtain financial compensation from the offender and/or their employer.

Working with a Medical Professional Sex Abuse Lawyer

Sexual abuse or assault is a criminal offense that can be punished by imprisonment, but a victim of such abuse can also file a civil lawsuit to recover compensation. Romanucci & Blandin has significant experience with sexual abuse lawsuits, and we are familiar with the challenges and compassion that these cases require. We understand how to listen to people who have suffered from sexual assault and sexual abuse, and our sexual abuse attorneys know how to bring a measure of justice to your life.

The victim often hesitates to speak out due to fear or embarrassment. Sometimes, they are told to stay quiet by friends, family, or loved ones, or there may be fear of retribution by the abuser.

Sexual abuse cases become even more sensitive when the victim is a child. These cases often involve an abuser who is in a position of authority or is trusted by the child or family. Our team is also familiar with cases stemming from contact on the internet by an adult preying on a young person.

The Role of Doctor Sex Abuse Attorneys

With headquarters in Chicago, the sexual abuse attorneys at Romanucci & Blandin know the damage caused by these situations can also include missed work and loss of income, medical bills for treatment, therapy or counseling and more. The attorneys at Romanucci & Blandin know how to navigate these sensitive cases and bring justice to victims - even if the abuse took place years ago – and often settle these types of cases without going to trial.

At Romanucci & Blandin, our approach to sexual abuse cases is to obtain monetary compensation for our clients and hold an individual or institution financially accountable and responsible for the economic, physical, and emotional damages that have occurred.

Our law firm has a team of attorneys and staff with years of experience with sexual abuse by medical providers. Our sexual abuse legal team includes partners who guide the process and share their deep knowledge of these types of lawsuits. Each client and situation is different, and your claim is handled with great care and respect as the team investigates what happened and determines the best path to justice for you.

We know exactly what to do to litigate your sexual abuse case. We will obtain all necessary background information on the abuser and, if appropriate, any institution such as a hospital, a medical office, or a clinic involved in the case. We find the records, interview witnesses, utilize experts and prepare thoroughly and meticulously for your case. We aim to obtain the maximum compensation possible so you can move on with your life.

At Romanucci & Blandin, our sexual abuse attorneys research the most up-to-date sexual misconduct laws and hire trained and experienced sexual assault experts to work as expert witnesses and consultants on your cases. We will evaluate your injury and claim and research the statute of limitations applicable to your case. We work to locate and utilize the best experts experienced in all the relevant state laws nationwide.

Promoting Patient Safety

Reporting Mechanisms

Survivors or individuals helping them can report the sexual misconduct of doctors and other medical professionals to a variety of different governmental and non-governmental institutions:

State medical boards: Patients and staff of healthcare providers can report the misconduct of doctors and other medical professionals to state medical boards, which oversee the licensing of those doctors and providers. Medical boards can restrict or ban the ability of medical professionals to provide healthcare to patients. Other states can accept these decisions to prevent offending providers from operating in their jurisdictions.
Law enforcement: The local police department or sheriff’s office will take a statement and go through a sexual assault evidence process with survivors.
Employer of offending doctor: The healthcare system or provider should have internal policies addressing patient reporting of sexual misconduct by one of their employees.

Institutional Policies

Medical providers should ensure that patients always have an advocate for them, including a second person in the room during exams.
Audits of patient experiences should take place regularly to identify gaps in management knowledge of potential issues.
Providers should promote an internal culture of disclosure by co-workers of issues they see to stop the silence that often comes along with long-running abuse situations like those below.

Examples of doctors abusing patients in the United States due to institutional policy and oversight issues:

Dr. Robert Hadden: An obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) in New York City, affiliated with Columbia University, who faced hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse from former patients, leading to a high-profile case and significant media coverage. In 2023, Hadden received a 20-year federal prison sentence for sexual assault in his second criminal case.
Dr. Larry Nassar: Although primarily known for his role with USA Gymnastics, Nassar was also a licensed physician who abused hundreds of young athletes under the guise of medical treatment at Michigan State University.

Legal and Professional Consequences

Legal Repercussions

Criminal charges may be applied to doctors and other providers who have sexual contact with their patients. Violations of the doctor-patient relationship through sexual misconduct can involve arrest and indictment related to those actions. A District Attorney can choose to prosecute offending doctors after an investigation by law enforcement.

Professional Consequences

Doctors and other medical professionals who abuse patients can be disciplined by their oversight boards.

Their state(s) medical board(s) can suspend or revoke their medical license(s).
A public censure and record can be established to alert the public to the abuse.
That professional may no longer be able to provide medical care.

Supporting Victims

Counseling and Therapy

Research shows that counseling and therapy are helpful to victims of sexual assault in their recovery from the highly traumatic experience.

For crisis support, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) operates the 24/7 National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE (4673)).
In the Chicago area, organizations such as Greenlight Family Services provide a variety of support options to survivors of sexual abuse.

Legal Assistance

Survivors of sex crimes by medical professionals can seek legal support to navigate the criminal justice system and pursue civil sexual abuse case claims against perpetrators of sexual misconduct.

Legal Aid Services: Organizations like Legal Aid Chicago provide survivors access to affordable or free legal counsel.
Victim Advocacy Groups: Organizations that offer guidance and support throughout the legal process, such as the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and its National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE (4673)).

Personal injury lawyers: Law firms can help victims of doctor and medical professional sexual abuse receive compensation for their pain and suffering. The experienced sexual abuse and medical malpractice attorneys at the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin are available to discuss your potential case and help you seek justice through a civil lawsuit.

At Romanucci & Blandin, we are committed to justice for our clients in and out of the courtrooms. In addition to litigating civil cases, we actively assist in creating legislative change to stem or stop the problems in our community that have impacted our clients. This means engaging with lawmakers and advocacy groups and potentially testifying in front of legislators to share our clients' stories and create change.

One example of this is when our client, who is the mother of a young female sex trafficking Backpage.com victim who was murdered, testified in the U.S. Senate. When legislation was passed, our client and her attorneys were in the White House when the SESTA/FOSTA law was signed, reforming internet solicitation of minors.

Free consultation on your case with Chicago-based sexual assault and malpractice lawyers

The sexual abuse and hazing attorneys at Romanucci & Blandin have proven success in these types of cases. If you or a loved one has suffered injury or wrongful death, please contact our office at 312-458-1000 or click here for a free case evaluation. There is never a fee until you are compensated for your injuries at the end of the case.

Disclaimer: The content found on this page is not legal assistance and contacting the sexual abuse and hazing lawyers at Romanucci & Blandin’s law office for a free consultation regarding personal injury cases and sexual abuse and hazing claims does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.