Rehabilitation facilities are meant to help those struggling with severe injuries, substance abuse, or other challenges heal and rebuild their lives. Sadly, abuse at these facilities is all too common, as many staff take advantage of their power over residents and patients to inflict horrific physical and psychological injuries. In many cases, abuse at Florida rehabilitation facilities frequently includes sexual assaults, leading to horrific trauma for survivors.
If someone sexually assaulted you at a Florida rehabilitation facility, Lehrman Law is ready to help you hold them and the facility itself accountable. Sexual assault and abuse cases are a core component of our practice, and we’ve helped many people hold their abusers accountable through the civil court system. While a civil lawsuit can’t send your attacker to jail, you can recover compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, making it easier for you to rebuild your life. Call now or complete our contact form for a confidential consultation with a Florida rehabilitation facility sexual assault lawyer.
Examples of Sexual Assaults at Rehabilitation Facilities
Sexual assaults at Florida rehabilitation facilities often (though not always) happen under the guise of medical care or other supposed treatments. Some examples of how sexual assault can occur at a rehabilitation facility include:
- Assault by Staff Members: Staff members, including medical professionals or aides, may exploit their position of authority to assault vulnerable patients under their care. For instance, a counselor at a mental health facility may use their authority over a patient to coerce or intimidate them into performing sexual acts.
- Inappropriate Medical Exams or Treatments: Sexual assaults can occur during medical exams or procedures, where a staff member performs unnecessary or inappropriate physical contact under the guise of medical care.
- Patient-on-Patient Assaults: In shared living spaces or group therapy sessions, a patient may assault another due to a lack of proper supervision or inadequate security measures.
- Abuse During Physical Therapy: Unsanctioned or inappropriate touch can occur under the pretense of physical therapy, especially in settings where therapists work one-on-one with patients.
- Assaults in Isolated Areas: Patients left unattended in secluded areas, such as private rooms, stairwells, or outdoor spaces, may be vulnerable to attacks by staff, other patients, or visitors.
- Failure to Address Known Risks: Facilities may fail to act on reports of predatory behavior by staff or other residents, leading to preventable assaults.
- Overmedication or Sedation Abuse: Perpetrators may intentionally overmedicate patients to make them more vulnerable to assault, taking advantage of the patient’s incapacitation.
Who’s Liable for Sexual Assaults at Rehabilitation Facilities?
The person who perpetrated the sexual assault is the person most immediately to blame for their actions, whether they’re a staff member, another patient, or a visitor. However, the facility itself may also be liable if it failed to take reasonable steps to protect patients. For example, a rehabilitation center could be liable for an assault if it didn’t properly screen employees during the hiring process, ignored complaints about misconduct, or failed to provide adequate supervision in areas where patients are most vulnerable.
In addition to the facility, liability could extend to other parties, such as third-party staffing agencies or contractors who provided negligent employees. Moreover, state or local agencies tasked with overseeing rehabilitation facilities could also face scrutiny if they didn’t enforce safety regulations or respond to known risks.
These layers of potential liability highlight the importance of investigating all contributing factors in a sexual assault case to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable. Survivors deserve justice not just from the perpetrator but also from any institution that enabled or failed to prevent the assault. A Boca Raton sexual abuse lawyer can help you identify all the parties responsible for the assault and hold them accountable.
What To Do if You Were Sexually Assaulted at a Rehabilitation Facility
The most important thing to do is to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Tell them what happened and give them any evidence that supports your case, such as the names of potential eyewitnesses, any reports you made to the facility about the assault, and so on. Your lawyer can take steps to remove you from the facility’s care while they investigate your case. Your attorney also can contact the police and give them whatever evidence you have, which could lead to criminal charges against your assailant or the facility.
As your attorney investigates the incident, be patient and focus on healing. Let your lawyer handle the investigation and protect your rights. Do not discuss your case, particularly on social media, and don’t agree to any settlements without talking to an attorney first.
Remember, what happened is not your fault. You trusted the facility and its staff to take care of you, and they failed in their duty.
Compensation for Sexual Assaults at Rehabilitation Facilities
Survivors of sexual assaults at Florida rehabilitation facilities have the right to compensation for many physical, emotional, and financial losses they’ve sustained. With support from a capable and committed legal team, your compensation could include money for:
- Current and future medical treatments for any abuse-related injuries.
- Lost income and reduced future earnings.
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Punitive damages, in certain cases
Deadline to File a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in Florida
There are complicated rules that determine your deadline to file a sexual abuse lawsuit in Florida. In general, state law says you must file any lawsuit within four years of leaving the abuser’s “dependency” or from when you discovered the causal relationship between your injury and the abuse, whichever comes later. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Florida law gives survivors seven years from their 18th birthday if the abuse occurred before they reached the age of majority. Finally, survivors who were abused when they were younger than 16 have unlimited time to file a lawsuit. Talk to a lawyer if you have questions about the timeline to file a lawsuit in your specific circumstances.
Contact a Boca Raton Rehabilitation Facility Sexual Assault Lawyer Now
Lehrman Law proudly represents survivors of sexual assaults at Florida rehabilitation facilities. We’re committed to protecting your rights and holding your abuser accountable. Call now or reach out online for a confidential consultation.