The doctor is an expert, so most people trust them. Besides, patients are in a vulnerable position during medical exams, so that imbalance between the patient and the doctor gives an abusive professional a chance to pass misconduct off as part of routine care. Once everything is done, the patient is left questioning their own instincts and even convincing themselves they’re overreacting.

But the truth becomes clear sooner or later, and once it does, what happens next?

A case of sexual abuse committed by a doctor doesn’t stop with that one person responsible for the abuse.

For the most part, it also involves their workplace.

Did the rest of the staff notice the doctor was acting strange? Did the hospital or the university ignore the obvious warning signs?

All these are important questions because records and policies that every institution has usually become part of the case.

But you also need to look at this from the expat’s perspective – the expat who lives in the U.S.

They’re now dealing with a legal system that could be completely alien to them. You might not know about specific state laws that apply to your specific case, you don’t know what the statute of limitations (how long you have to file a claim) in that specific jurisdiction is, etc. But really, you don’t really even know where to start; where do you got a lawyer who’s experienced enough to deal with sexual abuse and with institutions, and has a proven track record of success in dealing with such cases.

It’s extra difficult; and that’s why this article exists – to provide a bit of insight and useful guidance to expats in these (unfortunate) situations.

Top Doctor Sexual Abuse Lawyers

If you’re looking for representation in such a case, you want a law firm behind you that has a proven track record of success in these types of suits.

The ones below meet this very important  requirement:

Injury Lawyer Team

Attorneys at Injury Lawyer Team handle personal injury, medical malpractice, and cases of sexual abuse, including ones that involve institutions. Injury Lawyer Team was founded by Jonathan Rosenfeld, who’s practiced in Illinois since 2001.

If you look at the firm’s website, you’ll get a good idea of the cases they deal with. There are dedicated pages on OB-GYN abuse and allegations that involve Robert Anderson, Barry Brock, David Farley, Fabio Ortega, Ouimar Aejaz, and William Thompson. You’ll also find guides that explain how to report a doctor and even save some evidence.

The information is very clear, which means you can learn some things about the process before you contact a lawyer.

Manly, Stewart, Finaldi & Thom

As of right now, the true extent of sexual abuse committed by doctors in the U.S. is unknown, but one person who has dealt with a lot of it is John C. Manly. He has spent more than 25 years representing survivors of sexual abuse, and some of his best-known cases involved doctors who worked in major institutions.

He was lead counsel for survivors of Larry Nassar, who was a former doctor at Michigan State University, as well as for USA Gymnastics. The result of the litigation was 2 settlements – one of $500 million (USD) and the other of $380 million. Manly’s firm also represented 234 survivors (out of 710) in a case against a former USC gynecologist, George Tyndall.

You can learn more about the details of these cases on the firm’s website, and you can also find information on other cases.

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP

Speaking of the case against George Tyndall, partner Elizabeth Fegan represented women in this case, and co-founder Steve Berman was also involved in litigation.

The court appointed Hagens Berman to chair the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, which means that Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP helped lead the combined federal case.

The result was a $215 million class settlement, as well as a separate $852 million settlement that came later through individual lawsuits.

What’s even more important than money here is that part of the settlement made USC change procedures for medical exams, complaints, oversight, and the way misconduct is reported. There’s a lot of material from the case on the firm’s website, as well as court updates, FAQs, and explanations of how the settlement worked.

Conclusion

Finding yourself in a situation that needs a lawyer when you’re far away from home is anything but pleasant, but it happens. The good thing is that you now have a list of some excellent law firms that know how to deal with abuse that happens within institutions.

Dig around a little and do some research of your own, but you can’t go wrong with any of the choices on this list.