Medical care often requires you to trust healthcare professionals. When a provider uses that trust to commit sexual abuse, the conduct can leave you questioning what happened and whether it was medically appropriate. If you are facing a situation like this, a Philadelphia healthcare sexual abuse lawyer from Soloff & Zervanos, P.C., is here to listen to your account and explain what legal options may be available.
You may also have privacy concerns or worry about whether anyone will believe you. Our team of well-practiced sexual abuse and assault attorneys approaches these cases with care and without judgment. We are ready to examine what occurred and help you decide whether to pursue a civil claim, while protecting your privacy to the extent the legal process allows.
Healthcare providers often have access to patients in situations requiring unusual trust. A provider may sedate you for a procedure. You may need to undress for an examination or allow physical contact that is inappropriate outside a medical setting.
That trust can make misconduct difficult to recognize immediately. A provider may falsely claim certain contact is necessary for diagnosis or treatment, but abuse is never a legitimate part of medical care. During intimate examinations, medical standards normally require a chaperone or clear medical justification to protect you and maintain professional boundaries.
A provider may be a doctor or nurse, and a technician or therapist may also have direct patient access. A Philadelphia lawyer from our firm could review medical records and the circumstances of the treatment to identify evidence supporting your account of the sexual abuse.
A civil case may involve more than the individual provider. Hospitals, clinics, and medical offices can have responsibilities regarding who they allow to treat patients and what safeguards they use during care.
A facility may face scrutiny if it failed to properly credential or supervise a provider. Responsibility may arise when administrators ignored prior complaints or when inadequate safeguards during intimate examinations placed a patient at unnecessary risk.
Our sexual abuse attorneys could investigate records related to the provider and the Philadelphia healthcare facility. We may examine internal policies or prior reports when legally available. We may also assess whether negligent credentialing or supervision supports a claim against an employer or medical facility.
A criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit are separate legal proceedings. Prosecutors decide whether to bring criminal charges, and the government must meet the criminal standard of proof. A civil claim uses a lower standard of proof and focuses on whether legally responsible parties should compensate you for the harm they caused.
Through a civil case, compensation may address medical treatment or counseling expenses. It may also account for lost income and the personal effects of the abuse. What you may recover depends on the facts and available evidence.
You do not need a criminal conviction to discuss possible civil remedies. An attorney from our firm could explain how the two processes differ for survivors of sexual abuse by a medical provider in Philadelphia and what evidence may support a civil claim. Time limits apply to these cases and can vary, so acting promptly can help preserve records and other evidence.
Deciding whether to take legal action after abuse during medical care is personal. We could discuss what happened privately and answer your questions before you decide how to proceed. Our goal is to help you understand your rights without pressure.
At Soloff & Zervanos, P.C., we listen carefully and explain the next legal steps that fit your circumstances. Contact us to arrange a confidential consultation with a Philadelphia healthcare sexual abuse lawyer.
