Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Four women came forward on Feb. 15 and accused a Provo, Utah obstetrics and gynecology specialist of sexual battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. To date, that number has expanded to 83 women.

A lawsuit has been filed in 4th District Court calling out hospitals in the area, including Intermountain Healthcare (Utah Valley Hospital) and MountainStar Healthcare (Timpanogos Regional Hospital, claiming these facilities allowed the doctor to continue treating some patients.

The hospitals and medical facilities have all filed motions to dismiss the case, claiming that the claims involve issues related to medical malpractice and that the pre-litigation procedures were incorrect for a malpractice lawsuit.

Lawyers for the women have opted for a jury trial and have noted in court documents the differences between medical malpractice and sexual abuse.

The lawsuit alleges that the doctor sexually abused patients for over 40 years and disguised this behavior as medical care.

Due to the number of plaintiffs tacked on to the lawsuit, the cases have been divided into two groups: 1.) acts that happened within the past four years and 2.) acts that happened prior to four years ago.

The American Medical Association’s (AMA) sets forth what is known as the Principles of Medical Ethics, requiring doctors and medical providers to provide sound medical care that respects that rights and dignity of all humans. With that said, doctors sexual abusing patients is one of the most common acts of misconduct that results in disciplinary action by state medical boards.

Sexual abuse does not just mean having sex with patients. This can actually be various actions, such as taking nude pictures of patients, sodomy, rape, unwelcome fondling or touching, digital penetration, masturbating in the presence of patients, etc. In the majority of cases that our Florida Sexual Abuse Lawyers at Whittel & Melton have seen, most medical doctors and the facilities where they practice create a cover story to allow for the sexual abuse to continue, including that the abuse is part of a legitimate medical procedure. Our Sex Abuse Injury Lawyers know that this behavior is 100% unacceptable and a betrayal of trust that can cause irreparable damage.

The aftermath of sexual abuse can be depression, shame, guilt, attempts of suicide, the development of eating disorders, anxiety, insomnia, alcoholism, drug addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, relationship problems, sexual problems, and more. The betrayal by a doctor to a patient can be severe enough to keep patients from seeking treatment for medical issues, which is something that can last a lifetime. Continue reading

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, has reached a settlement of $87.5 million to be shared in a trust between about 300 or victims of child sexual abuse by members of the clergy.

According to reports from CNN, the settlement will be funded over four years, and all the victims with receive their funds from an allocator.

Both the Camden diocese and the survivors’ attorneys’ have agreed to the terms of the settlement, but the court will need to approve of the terms to make it official, which is slated for early June.

The settlement comes from numerous allegations that the Catholic church covered up instances of sexual abuse by clergy members spanning decades. Due to these allegations across the country, not just in New Jersey, many Catholic dioceses have filed for bankruptcy protection.

Claims Against the Catholic Church in Florida

If you or your son or daughter was sexually abused by a clergy member of the Catholic church, or any other religious organization, in the state of Florida, then please know that our Florida Sexual Abuse Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you figure out what steps to take next. You may have a case against the perpetrator of the abuse as well as the Church. The perpetrator may be held liable in criminal court as well as civil court, but the perpetrator may not have the resources needed to pay out the significant damages you are likely entitled to, and their access to children was likely gained through the Church itself, thus making the Church liable for their role in the abuse. Negligence, among other things, could be a basis for a lawsuit against the church as they should conduct through background checks on all their priests and employees to be certain they can safely work around children. Likewise, if they knew about child sex abuse complaints and failed to take appropriate action, they can be held liable for misrepresentation or fraud. Continue reading