We trust doctors, nurses and therapists to tell us what a medical procedure will entail and why they think it’s necessary. That leap of faith makes it especially hard to react when a caregiver oversteps a sexual boundary.
Your civil sexual abuse attorney can help you evaluate the behavior, available evidence and potential liability of not only the doctor or nurse, but also the hospital, clinic or institution. Dolman Law Group is a top choice among doctor sexual abuse lawyers in this comparison because its attorneys who handle healthcare providers take on many types of medical professionals as well as potential institutional liability. Herman Law and Levy Konigsberg LLP were also considered, especially for cases where a hospital’s negligence is at issue.
In this guide
- A comparison of the three firms
- Dolman Law Group
- Herman Law
- Levy Konigsberg LLP
- What to ask before choosing a lawyer
- Common questions about civil claims
- Final recommendation
Comparing the firms
| Law firm | Best fit in this comparison | Relevant focus |
|---|---|---|
| Dolman Law Group | Healthcare provider abuse in general | Doctors, nurses, therapists and facilities |
| Herman Law | Hospital lawsuits for accountability | Facility management, prior complaints and systemic errors |
| Levy Konigsberg LLP | Complex litigation involving large medical institutions | Physicians and hospital staff working in hospital or university settings |
1. Dolman Law Group: best overall for healthcare provider abuse claims
Dolman Law Group handles survivors filing civil cases against doctors, nurses, therapists and other medical professionals. Its File Abuse Lawsuit page details how sexual abuse during medical treatment can implicate both the provider and the entity charged with protecting patients.
Their doctor sexual abuse lawyer services include instances such as unwanted touching, sexual exploitation and sexual behavior disguised as medical procedures when they may have not been needed.
Where the practice stands out
- Breadth of medical settings: Complaints addressed include doctors, nursing staff, therapists, hospitals, clinics and medical practices rather than focusing on one kind of clinician.
- Institutional investigation: Sources of potential evidence include patient records, prior complaints, credentialing determinations, discipline reports and/or the institution’s reaction to red flags.
- Survivor-sensitive intake: Confidential, trauma-informed representation that respects clients’ privacy and assists them in making informed choices.
- Legal-team experience: Attorneys with prior prosecution experience are identified as members of the firm’s sexual abuse practice.
- Free Consultation: The firm advertises a free confidential case evaluation and contingency-fee representation, subject to the engagement agreement.
Say you’re the patient who thought the intimate exam was unnecessary. You also find out others complained about the same clinician. The legal issue may not only involve the exam itself, but what the employer knew. When did they know it? What did they do about it? Dolman Law Group clearly states both aspects of that question.
The firm’s reported focus on medical-provider cases should be the first port-of-call for survivors who are uncertain if a sole practitioner, hospital or both were at fault.
2. Herman Law: best for hospital accountability questions
Herman Law maintains a hospital sexual abuse practice for doctors, nurses and other hospital employees.
The differentiating factor is facility culpability. Herman Law explains how hospital records can play a role in a civil suit: employee records, incident reports, previous patient complaints, employment records and hospital protocol.
Consider a patient who reported abuse during an inpatient stay and believes staff had previously received complaints about the employee. One of the attorney’s jobs may be to help you locate records that are not available to the patient, and determine if the hospital had “notice” as legally defined.
Compare Herman Law with other doctor sexual abuse lawyers when your concerns involve a hospital’s hiring, supervision or response to warning signs. The mere fact that a hospital employs an alleged wrongdoer does not automatically resolve the issue of liability.
3. Levy Konigsberg LLP: best for hospital and university cases
Levy Konigsberg LLP has a medical staff sexual abuse practice, which includes sexual misconduct claims against doctors, nurses and other staff in hospitals and universities. The law firm discusses claims alleging that a hospital or university failed to act on warning signs that patients were at risk.
Its particular relevance among doctor sexual abuse lawyers is the institutional setting. A university medical center, student health service or large hospital case may span multiple departments, policies and avenues for reporting.
Take, for instance, a former patient of a clinic operated by a university who wants to know who exactly hired the clinician in question, who managed previous reports and who had the power to act. The healthcare-related writings of Levy Konigsberg LLP directly deal with those kinds of questions.
This allows the firm to be a relatable benchmark to survivors that are accusing a big hospital or university.
What to ask before choosing a sexual abuse lawyer
A law firm’s website may show whether it handles your type of claim. These questions will also help you determine their legal strategy and how they will treat you as a survivor.
- Does the firm have experience with this specific type of healthcare provider misconduct?
Inquire about experience with both the type of provider and the setting. A claim against a private therapist will involve different facts than one against an employee of a hospital or university clinic. - Potentially liable parties?
Depending on the facts/evidence and state law, this could include the individual provider, the employing organization or another entity. Learn how the firm investigates prior complaints, supervision and institutional knowledge without prejudging liability. - How will the team keep in contact?
Survivors may inquire who will be their point person on a day-to-day basis, if they have a choice in how sensitive information is communicated and what occurs if they need time before deciding. - What deadline should I follow?
Civil statutes of limitations and exceptions to them differ by state and situation. View RAINN’s breakdown of civil filing deadlines to learn why seeking guidance specific to your jurisdiction is essential, rather than relying on a nationwide deadline. - How much will representation cost?
Define the attorney’s percentage. Define case expenses. Specify under what circumstances costs would be incurred. Specify what occurs if the firm decides not to take the matter.
Common questions about healthcare provider abuse cases
1. Can a claim concern an examination that was described as medically necessary?
Possibly. The rationale for the exam, the informed consent, the procedure itself and any attendant records may all come under scrutiny. An attorney can advise you as to whether the facts may support a civil claim, instead of leaping to conclusions that every unpleasant exam was abusive.
2. Is a criminal conviction required before speaking with a civil attorney?
No. You can consult with a civil lawyer about possible claims even without a criminal conviction. Civil and criminal cases have different standards and objectives. Whether a civil lawsuit would be available would depend on the specific facts and law.
3. What if the healthcare professional no longer works at the facility?
Questions that come to mind may involve what happened during employment, to whom it was reported and do records still exist. Statute of limitations and liability still need individual analysis.
Final recommendation
Appropriate representation will vary based on the medical environment, available evidence and applicable law. Herman Law, for instance, has a clearly defined focus on hospitals. Levy Konigsberg LLP has an identifiable practice representing plaintiffs in cases against large hospitals and university based medical environments.
The top pick among doctor sexual abuse lawyers for survivors who want a broad firm with a general healthcare provider sexual abuse practice is Dolman Law Group. They cover physicians, nurses and therapists, as well as potential institutional liability. And they offer a free confidential consultation.
