Whether they are providing inpatient or outpatient care, every healthcare provider must always put the best interests of the children under their care first. At the organizational level, this expectation includes not only ensuring that minors receive compassionate medical care tailored to their unique physiological needs but also that those children are safe from being groomed, molested, assaulted, or otherwise sexually mistreated while inside medical facilities.
Unfortunately, there are numerous examples of healthcare companies failing to prevent and sometimes even actively enabling sexual abuse by people they employ. If this kind of misconduct has impacted your family, a Los Angeles healthcare child sexual abuse lawyer from our team could help you understand and enforce your right to seek financial restitution. Contact The Cifarelli Law Firm today to schedule a consultation with a seasoned child sexual abuse attorney.
Under state law, those who have experienced sexual abuse from a healthcare provider while under the age of 18 and before January 1, 2024, are given until their 40th birthday to file suit over abuse-related injuries. The law also broadly imposes the same deadline for state authorities to file criminal charges over this type of offense.
While the goal of a criminal prosecutor is to establish a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and punish them for their actions, the standard of proof for civil liability is based on a preponderance of the evidence. Our Los Angeles attorneys’ goal is to provide financial compensation to minors harmed through the sexual misconduct of healthcare providers and to mitigate specific losses they experienced as a result.
When a doctor, nurse, or other person working in a healthcare facility sexually abuses a child in their care, they are not the only person who could potentially hold civil liability for damages stemming from their abuse. In many situations, it is possible to hold an abuser’s employer liable for damages as well, often because they negligently failed to ensure children in their facilities were adequately supervised or failed to properly address previous reports of abuse.
Alternatively, employees could hold their employers vicariously liable for misconduct under the legal doctrine of “respondeat superior,” regardless of whether the employer did anything negligent to facilitate their employee’s misconduct. A lawyer from our Los Angeles office could help review the circumstances that led to a child being sexually abused in a healthcare facility and hold the right people accountable for it.
Both parents and trustworthy healthcare providers should ensure every child grows up safe, healthy, and supported. When a medical provider abuses their authority to harm a child, our lawyers aim to hold the individual and their healthcare facility both criminally and civilly liable for the immense harm they cause.
We have extensive experience helping people through these difficult situations, and a Los Angeles healthcare child sexual abuse lawyer from our firm could work tirelessly to secure the restitution your family deserves while still protecting your privacy and personal well-being. Contact us at The Cifarelli Law Firm to discuss your options.
If you or your child has been a victim, talk to an Irvine child sexual abuse lawyer at The Cifarelli Law Firm. Our team is passionate about advocating for victims and helping them seek justice. We understand this is a difficult situation, and we strive to create a place where victims from all over California can feel safe and heard. Call The Cifarelli Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation.
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