We trust our healthcare workers with our physical and mental health and our children’s safety. When a medical professional betrays that trust through sexual abuse, it can change a patient’s life, burdening them with shame and anger and causing lingering health issues.
Although this kind of sexual abuse is relatively rare, there are sexual assault attorneys with experience handling these cases and protecting clients in painful situations. If you or your loved one suffered abuse from a healthcare worker, a Houston healthcare sexual abuse lawyer from Fleming Law Accident & Injury Attorneys is ready to help.
Sexual abuse in a medical setting can involve healthcare workers at any level, from nursing assistants to noted physicians. Minors and women are at greater risk for abuse and assault, as are vulnerable adults who suffer from mental disorders.
An abuser may begin with boundary-crossing behaviors and inappropriate remarks, but they may also act without prior warning signs. Healthcare sexual abuse can include:
Abuse from a trusted medical professional can leave you feeling frightened, abandoned, and even responsible for what happened, but our sexual assault attorneys in Houston are ready to provide you with legal support.
The psychological aftermath of healthcare sexual abuse can have a negative effect on your health. As with any assault survivor, you may feel anger, pain, and guilt, impacting every part of your life and leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. This can affect your daily activities and may cause you to avoid seeing doctors or taking medical advice in the future.
Sexual abuse is never the survivor’s fault. To internalize this and begin to heal, you may need extensive therapy and new medical evaluations for any underlying problems that went untreated. Our Houston legal team is here to help you pursue compensation to cover these expenses related to the sexual abuse you suffered from a healthcare provider.
A survivor needs a lawyer who can defend their rights and pursue justice while they focus on their physical and mental recovery. A Houston sexual assault lawyer with knowledge of the healthcare sphere can work with you and your family through civil and criminal proceedings.
In a civil trial, the plaintiff makes a claim for their damages. These can include mental health care expenses, such as therapy or inpatient treatment, and medical bills, including any further treatment due to the healthcare worker’s failure to provide adequate care. Compensation may also include loss of wages, income, or earning potential due to injuries or opportunities lost during the crisis.
You may also be able to file claims against parties that allowed the assault to happen, such as a clinic or hospital. Additionally, you can pursue a formal complaint with the healthcare worker’s licensing board.
The prosecutors, usually the local district attorney’s office, determine whether to pursue criminal charges. They consider the offense and the evidence available before making this determination. If a prosecutor does not file charges against someone accused of abuse, it does not mean that person is innocent. Civil claims require a different standard of proof, so you may still have the option to hold an abuser legally accountable.
Contact a Houston healthcare sexual abuse lawyer as soon as you can. You and your attorney will have the best chance of gathering the evidence you need if you act quickly. Eyewitnesses may forget what they observed, and businesses can discard paperwork over time, weakening your case.
Fleming Law Accident & Injury Attorneys provides fierce and compassionate representation for victims of sexual assault, working to get the justice you deserve. You may contact us at any time of the day or night to set up an appointment and discuss how we can help you.
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