Healing from a severe injury often requires physical therapy, and the necessary exercises sometimes involve therapists putting their hands on a patient’s body. There’s a clear line between appropriate and inappropriate touching, though, and unwanted touching often reaches the level of sexual abuse. Sadly, many patients who suffer physical therapy sexual abuse hesitate to act out of shame or embarrassment, or because they don’t fully understand their rights.
Let’s be clear: Any physical therapist who subjects you to unwanted sexual contact has violated professional standards and likely broken the law. If this happened to you, Lehrman Law is ready to help you find justice and recover fair compensation through a civil lawsuit.
Our Boca Raton sexual abuse attorneys have successfully represented many victims and helped them hold their abusers accountable. As Certified Trauma-Informed Legal Professionals, our team takes a caring, thorough approach to these cases and makes the legal process as painless as possible for you. You need swift action, so call now or complete our contact form for a free, confidential consultation.
How Our Physical Therapy Sexual Abuse Attorneys Can Help You
At Lehrman Law, our attorneys know how difficult it can be to come forward after experiencing sexual abuse from a physical therapist. You deserve justice, support, and a legal team committed to protecting your rights.
We’re here to guide you with compassion and strength. We’ll start by listening to your story and explaining your legal options. Then, we’ll investigate the abuse, gather evidence, and build a case to hold the responsible individual—and possibly the facility that employed them—accountable.
Our team can handle every step of the legal process, including filing a civil lawsuit, negotiating with insurance companies to secure a fair settlement, and representing you in court if necessary. We’ll also work to uncover whether your abuser had a history of misconduct and whether the physical therapy clinic failed to act to prevent abuse. If so, you may have a claim against the facility for additional compensation, which we can also handle for you.
Finally, we can explain the legal process and address any questions or concerns you have. We’ll keep you informed, but out of the case as much as possible so you can focus on healing and rebuilding your life.
Examples of Sexual Abuse by Physical Therapists
Any unwanted contact of a sexual nature by a physical therapist may qualify as abuse. Florida law defines sexual misconduct in physical therapy as any “violation of the physical therapist-patient relationship … to engage or attempt to engage the patient in sexual activity outside the scope of … generally accepted examination or treatment.” While forced penetration of any kind qualifies as sexual abuse, other examples include:
- Unnecessary Touching: Physical contact beyond what’s medically needed, especially in private areas, without a clear therapeutic purpose.
- Inappropriate Comments: Making sexual jokes, remarks about your body, or comments that make you feel uncomfortable or objectified.
- Touching Without Consent: Failing to explain a procedure or get your permission before beginning hands-on treatment.
- Refusing to Respect Boundaries: Ignoring your discomfort, dismissing your concerns, or continuing treatment in ways you’ve asked to stop.
- Performing Treatment in Private Without a Chaperone: Insisting on being alone with you during sessions when it isn’t necessary or when it goes against facility policy.
- Using Treatment as a Cover for Sexual Contact: Claiming certain sexualized acts are part of therapy when they are not recognized medical practices.
- Invading Personal Space Excessively: Standing too close, brushing up against you unnecessarily, or entering your personal space without a clear reason.
Talk to a lawyer if you aren’t sure whether what happened to you qualifies as sexual abuse. A lawyer can advise you about your rights and legal options.
What To Do If a Physical Therapist Sexually Abused You
Follow these steps if you have experienced sexual abuse from your physical therapist:
- Get to a safe place and seek support from someone you trust.
- Document what happened, including dates, times, and any details you remember.
- Report the abuse to the clinic, state licensing board, or law enforcement.
- Seek medical or mental health care.
- Contact a qualified attorney to learn your legal rights and explore your options.
One final point to remember: It’s vital to act quickly if your physical therapist abused you. The usual deadline to file a lawsuit in these cases is four years (95.11(3)(n)) from the most recent instance of abuse. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible to preserve your right to take legal action.
Compensation in Physical Therapy Sexual Abuse Cases
While no compensation will make it as though the sexual abuse never occurred, you can still recover compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial harm you’ve suffered. Some losses for which you can seek compensation in a physical therapy sexual abuse claim include:
- The cost of past or future medical treatments or mental health counseling for your physical and psychological injuries
- Lost income from missed work
- Reduced future earnings if you’ve developed a long-term disability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
You might also qualify for punitive damages. Punitive damages are not intended to be compensation for the victim. Instead, they are a penalty against the people or institution that wronged you. Your physical therapist’s actions may meet the standard for intentional wrongdoing, and you may have a case against their employer for extreme negligence.
Florida law generally caps punitive damages at either $500,000 or three times your compensatory damages (the money you receive for lost income, medical bills, etc.), whichever is higher. However, the law includes an exception in cases where you can prove someone had a “specific intent to harm” you. There is no limit on punitive damages in these situations.
Contact Our Florida Physical Therapy Sexual Abuse Lawyers Now
Our attorneys are here to provide the legal and emotional support you need. Call Lehrman Law now or complete our contact form for a free, confidential consultation.